MILAN, February 13. /TASS/. The United States national hockey team triumphed over Latvia with a score of 5-1 in their opening match of the Olympic tournament’s group stage. These games are taking place in Milan.
For the victorious side, goals were scored by Brady Tkachuk (6th minute), Brock Nelson (31st, 40th), Tage Thompson (38th), and Auston Matthews (43rd). Latvia’s sole goal came from Renārs Krastenbergs (8th minute). In the first period, officials disallowed two goals by the Americans following video review. During the second intermission, Latvia’s goaltender, Elvis Merzļikins, was substituted for Artūrs Šilovs.
The head coach for the Latvian squad is Harijs Vītoliņš. He previously served as an assistant to Oleg Znarok on the Russian national team, being part of the coaching staff for the squad that secured the Olympic gold in 2018.
In the group C’s other fixture, the German team defeated Denmark with a scoreline of 3-1. In the upcoming round, the Americans will face the Danes, while the Germans are scheduled to play against the Latvian team. Both of these contests are set for February 14th.
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