Latvia delivered a stunning upset at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Zurich, defeating the defending champion United States 4-2. Sandis Vilmanis scored two empty-net goals to secure the win for Latvia, handing the Americans their third defeat of the tournament. The loss puts the U. S. in a precarious position in Group A.
Deniss Smirnovs' goal early in the third period gave Latvia a 2-1 lead, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. The Americans pulled their goaltender, Devin Cooley, for an extra attacker, but Vilmanis capitalized with his first empty-netter with just over a minute remaining. Matthew Tkachuk, playing in only his second career game at the World Championship, assisted on a goal by Mathieu Olivier to bring the U. S. within one, but Vilmanis sealed the victory with his second empty-net goal with 42 seconds left.
Haralds Egle opened the scoring for Latvia in the first period. Tkachuk responded with a power-play goal in the second period, his first of the tournament, tying the game at 1-1. Despite the loss, Tkachuk's presence provided a boost for the American squad, as the two-time Stanley Cup winner and Olympic champion joined the team earlier in the week.
The tournament is co-hosted by Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland from May 15-31. Sixteen teams are competing in the tournament. The U. S. has two remaining group-stage games against Hungary and Austria. Canada's Mark Scheifele had a hat trick against Norway earlier in the tournament.
