After penalty shootout

Austria loses first World Championship test against Latvia

Austria's national ice hockey team lost the first of two World Championship test games against Latvia on Thursday in a penalty shoot-out 2:3 (1:0,0:1,1:1;0:0). 

The ÖEHV team took the lead twice in Riga through Leon Wallner (16th) and Julian Metzler (43rd), but Feliks Gavars (26th) and Dans Locmelis (46th) equalized for the bronze medalists of the 2023 World Championship. Two Latvians scored in the decision, only Emilio Romig was successful for Austria.

Head coach Roger Bader's young team will face Latvia again on Friday (6 p.m.). As always in the first spring camp, many players who will be fighting for their place at the World Championships in Prague from May 10 are missing. Among others, the players from the ICE League finalists KAC and Salzburg will not be present. Bader has called up many young players, with Dominique Heinrich, David Madlener, Kilian Zündel and Nico Feldner among the veterans. "I don't have any great expectations. The execution comes before the result," said Bader ahead of the trip to the Baltic States.

A total of nine tests await Austria ahead of the World Championships, with opponents including runners-up Germany and world champions Canada (May 5) in Vienna.