Latvian national team forward Sandis Vilmanis highlighted goalkeeper Kristers Gudlevskis' performance after the victory over the USA at the World Championship. According to the hockey player, it was the goalkeeper who became one of the main reasons for the success of the Latvian team.
After the important victory of the Latvian national team over the USA with a score of 4:2, one of the most emotional players on the team was forward Sandis Vilmanis, who scored twice into the empty net of the opponent at the end of the match.
However, the main hero of the match, the forward said, was not himself, but goalkeeper Kristers Gudlevskis.
"Thank God he is our goalkeeper and not someone else's," Vilmanis said after the match, commenting on the goalkeeper's performance.
According to the hockey player, the team is primarily happy about the victory itself, and the goals scored were the result of the collective effort of the entire line.
"The main thing is that we won. These goals came by themselves. We won the puck in the zone, thanks to the guys," the forward noted.
The end of the match was particularly tense, as the Americans pulled their goalkeeper twice in an attempt to save the game. It was then that Vilmanis sent the puck into the empty net twice.
In the second episode, the hockey player didn't even realize that the opponent's net was empty at first.
"I didn't even know their net was empty. When I saw it was empty, I shot right away," he said.
For the Latvian national team, this victory became one of the most important in the current World Championship. After a heavy defeat to Finland, the team managed to beat one of the favorites of the group and maintain a real chance of reaching the quarter-finals.
Gudlevskis indeed played a special role in the match, saving the team several times in difficult situations, including during penalty kills.
Despite the emotional victory, the national team is already shifting focus to the next matches. Vilmanis emphasized that the team does not intend to relax.
"There are no unserious opponents and no easy matches. Everyone fights until the end," the forward stated.
Latvia's next match will be on Sunday against Great Britain, followed by a game against Hungary.
Currently, the Latvian national team has six points after five matches, and the battle for a playoff spot remains completely open.
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