A Beautiful Game: the IKF-sponsored Toronto Baltic Cup ends with a Latvian victory

After their 2024 victory there were high expectations for the Latvian hockey team in 2025. The Toronto Baltic Cup took place on March 29 and 30 at the CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) Arena in Brampton, where the IIHF Women’s World Championship took place in 2023 (Canada lost to the US).
The prelims started with Lithuania vs Latvia, and we showed our attacking power with a 9-1 win, the Lithuanian goalkeeper being bombed mercilessly. Without a break, the next game followed immediately, but tired legs got off to a very slow start, with fresh Estonians scoring three neat goals: 3-0. The Latvians slowly found their breath and after 5-2 they gradually got to 6-6, then 7-7, finally 8-8, until Regan Kimens scored the final goal in the last 90 seconds: 9-8! A draw would have been enough to make it to the final, but the large crowd enjoyed it anyway. However, letting in 8 goals is nothing to be proud of: the team will have to work on defence. With finals the next day, some stayed to watch the last game – Estonia vs Lithuania, with the winner going to the final.
In the final, the Latvians got it together and achieved exactly the opposite of the previous night: 3-0. The winners of the Toronto Baltic Cup 2025 – the Latvian team.
With six goal attempts in the last minute, the score remained 4-2. Bravo team!

“The organizers of the Toronto Baltic Cup thanke the LNAK Education and Culture Foundation for their generous support.