October 1st, 19:15, Riga, Mogo Ice Arena
On the first day of October, Oleg Tymchenko’s men will be tested by the reigning champions of the past two Optibet League seasons – Riga’s Mogo/RSU.
After six games played, the Riga side sits in fifth place, but trails the Capitals, who lead the standings, by just two points. This fact, undoubtedly, adds even more tension to the upcoming clash.
It’s worth noting that Girts Ankipans’ squad has finished half of their games beyond regulation. Riga exchanged away overtime victories with Prizma by identical 4:3 scorelines, and also defeated Liepaja in a shootout. At home in the Mogo Ice Arena, the hosts lost to Zemgale/LBTU (0:3) but defeated HS Riga (5:2) and Energija (5:3).
Overall, the roster of our future opponents consists exclusively of Latvian players – both young talents and experienced veterans.
Traditionally, we should also mention the players of Kyiv Capitals who once wore the colors of their upcoming rivals. There are six of them on our roster: Janis Voris, Edmunds Augstkalns, Andrejs Kostjuks, Rustams Begovs, Lauris Bajaruns, and Renars Cipruss.
As for the leading scorers of both teams, Mogo/RSU’s top point-getter is Deivids Sarkanis with seven points (3+4). For the Capitals, Martins Karsums ranks among the league’s top three with 10 points (5+5).
So, will our team be able to hold onto first place in the showdown with the reigning champions? We’ll find out tonight.
