Olympics: Locmelis Nets Two, Latvia Earns 1st Olympic Win in 12 Years

 

Latvia stunned Germany at Rho Arena on Saturday, securing its first Olympic win in 12 years just two days after a 5-1 loss to Team USA. Dans Locmelis, who scored twice, and Artūrs Šilovs, who made 26 saves, led the Latvians to victory. Both Eduards Tralmaks and Renars Krastenbergs also scored for Latvia. Germany, coming off a 3-1 win over Denmark on Thursday, got goals from Lukas Reichel, Lukas Kälble, and Tim Stützle. On Sunday, the Latvians take on Denmark while Germany faces the U.S.

Latvia Lineup:

Vilmanis - Girgensons - Tralmaks

Daugavins - Blueger - Krastenbergs

Bukarts - Locmelis - Balcers

Ravinskis - Batna - Dzierkals

Rubins - Balinskis

Jaks - Zile

Smits - Mamcics

Cibulskis - Bukarts

Šilovs

Germany Lineup:

Samanski - Draisaitl - Tiffels

Peterka - Stützle - Stachowiak

Reichel - Michaels - Kahun

Rieder - Sturm - Ehl

Wagner - Seider

J. Müller - Wissmann

Kälble - Gawanke

M. Müller

Grubauer

Lukas Reichel opened the scoring when he took a clever stretch pass from Dominik Kahun, who received the puck from Lukas Kälble, and Reichel beat Artūrs Šilovs blocker side on a partial breakaway with a quick snipe at 17:54 of the first period to put the Germans ahead 1-0. With 4:12 to go, Dans Locmelis tied it 1-1 to get Latvia on the board, finishing Zemgus Girgensons' pass at the right side when he slammed it in from the doorstep after an offensive zone faceoff when the puck bounced to Girgensons before setting Locmelis up. Restoring Germany's lead 2-1 just 68 seconds later, Lukas Kälble beat Šilovs in the left face-off circle with a wrister short side after Frederik Tiffels intercepted Kaspars Daugavins pass.

Knotting it up 2-2, Locmelis put in his second of the game with 11:58 on the clock in the second period with a quick wrister from low in the right circle through the small space between Philipp Grubauer's head and the post on a 5-on-3 power play. At 10:37, Leon Draisaitl attempted to put Germany in front for a third time, but was denied by Šilovs on a breakaway.

Eduards Tralmaks took a long cross-ice pass from Girgensons and fired a wrist shot to beat Grubauer blocker-side to give Latvia a 3-2 lead at 11:28 of the third period. Three minutes later, Renars Krastenbergs extended the lead to 4-2 off a rebound from Daugavins, putting a wrist shot in the back of the net from the slot. Stützle cut it to 4-3 with 2:19 remaining in the third with a wrister from the slot that found its way in after going off Kristaps Zile with Grubauer pulled for an extra attacker. Reichel had a chance to tie it, but his deflection hit the post with 52 seconds left to play.

Notes:

- Philipp Grubauer made a total of 18 saves for Germany.

- Lukas Kälble recorded a goal and an assist.

- Zemgus Girgensons collected a pair of assists, and Renars Krastenbergs picked up both a goal and an assist.

- In the Qualifying Round of 2002 Salt Lake City, Team Germany secured a 4-1 win against Team Latvia

- With his goal, Tim Stützle now matches the most goals by a Team Germany player in an Olympic tournament involving NHL players. The only players with more are Klaus Kathan (3 in 7 GP in 2002), Len Soccio (3-in 7 GP in 2002), and Jan Benda (3 in 4 GP in 1998).

- Zemgus Girgensons assisted on Team Latvia’s only goal Thursday. He remains the only Latvian ever selected in the first round of the NHL Draft (No. 14 in 2012 by BUF) and ranks third all-time in points among his countrymen behind Sandis Ozoliņš (564) and Sergei Zholtok (258). He holds the same ranking in games played, goals, and assists. Girgensons played alongside Ozoliņš and recorded 1-1--2 at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

- Lukas Reichel opened the scoring for Team Germany. In the Canucks organization, he has appeared in 19 NHL games this season with Calgary and Vancouver (2-3--5). His father, Martin Reichel, represented Germany at the 2002 Olympics, while his uncle, Robert Reichel, skated for the Czech Republic in 1998 and 2002.

- Dans Locmelis, a fourth-round pick by the Bruins in 2022 who plays for Providence (AHL), has scored both of Latvia’s goals on the power play. He is the first Latvian with multiple power-play goals in a single Olympic game with NHL participation, matching the highest single-game total in that format - last done by Sweden’s Loui Eriksson on Feb. 21, 2010.

- Team Latvia defenseman Alberts Smits (18 years, 74 days) recorded an assist on his country’s fourth goal, becoming the youngest defenseman to register a point in the Olympics with NHL players. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, he was ranked No. 2 among international skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-season rankings.