Latvia beats Canada at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

OTTAWA, Ontario – Eriks Mateiko scored the only goal in an eighth-round shootout to give Latvia an impressive 3-2 victory over hosts Canada at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships on Friday night.

Mateiko beat Jack Ivankovic on the blocking side and ended the tiebreaker after the first 15 shooters failed to score. In doing so, he pulled off a monumental upset, so big that ESPN BET offered Latvia as a +4000 moneyline pick to win.

“We found a way,” coach Artis Abols said after Latvia’s third win in 38 games at the tournament. “Anything is possible in a hockey game.”

Mateiko and Peteris Bulans scored late power play goals in the Group A game at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mateiko tied it at 1 with 6:42 to go and Bulans tied it at 2 with 2:29 to go.

Linards Feldbergs stopped 55 shots for Latvia in the tournament opener.

“I’m still in shock,” Feldbergs told nhl.com. “I think it would take me about an hour to process it…everything that happened on the ice.”

Calum Ritchie and Jett Luchanko scored for Canada. Ivankovic made 24 saves.

Canada received a penalty in 3-on-3 overtime for too many men on the ice, but survived the outnumbered situation and forced the shootout.

“Devastating,” said Canadian defenseman Tanner Molendyk. “An eye opener. It’s not one you want to lose, not one you want to lose.”

Ivankovic was the third 17-year-old goalkeeper to play for Canada in the under-20 tournament and the first to start since Jimmy Waite in 1987.

In the other Group A game, Finland beat Germany 3-1. Emil Pieniniemi, Arttu Alasiurua and Jesse Kiiskinen scored goals and Petteri Rimpinen made 31 saves to help Finland recover from its opening 4-0 loss to Canada on Thursday night.

Defending champions USA opened Group A play on Thursday evening with a 10-4 victory over Germany. The Americans face Latvia on Saturday.

In Group B, Sweden beat Kazakhstan 8-1 at TD Place and Slovakia beat Switzerland 2-1.

Anton Wahlberg scored one of Sweden’s five goals in the half and added another goal in the second period.

Victor Eklund, David Edstrom, Linus Eriksson, Felix Nilsson, Oskar Vuollet and David Granberg also scored and Marcus Gidlof made 15 saves for Sweden in a 5-2 win over Slovakia in their opener on Thursday.

Jan Chovan scored the equalizer for Slovakia in the third period.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.