A capacity crowd in Cologne saw a thrilling game with the scores tied 3-3 at the end of regular time. Overtime failed to produce any additional goals so that meant just one thing: a shoot-out to separate the teams.
That proved even more tense with shot after shot parried away until Germany's Frederik Tiffels broke the deadlock and sealed a quarter-final berth for the home team to a rapturous ovation from the capacity crowd.
He Schütz, he scores! And Tiffels netted the game-winner for Germany vs. Latvia in shootout! The game story: https://t.co/aSaRW88KwO pic.twitter.com/2LVPAFmmE2
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 16, 2017
For Latvia it was a bitter disappointment with Kaspars Daugavins telling the IIHF official website: "Our mindset had us going to Paris tomorrow and it hurts that we're not. But since I've been with the team, I don't remember a group like this. These are good guys and we believe we can play with anyone. I hope we can keep this going for a long time. We have to thank Bob Hartley for bringing this new culture to Latvian hockey."
TIFFELS! Germany ?? @DEB_eV to the quarter-finals. Final score 4-3 in a shootout. #GERvsLAT #IIHFWorlds pic.twitter.com/MWbhiZ8A1W
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 16, 2017
Despite bowing out before the knockout stages of the tournament, the Latvian team has done a great deal to restore its standing in the eyes of the public for the simple fact that it didn't play a single bad game and displayed organization, discipline and tenaciousness that have sometimes been lacking in recent years.
