A Latvian hockey team on a three-city exhibition tour of the American Midwest finished with a 0-3 record in games against university squads in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

HK Rīga 2000, the Latvian team, fell 2-5 against the Bulldogs of the University of Minnesota – Duluth in a game played Dec. 15, according to the Duluth News-Tribune.

The Latvian team’s tour was organized by the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. In an interview with the News-Tribune, Coach Mats Erik Ulander said six of his of players, including two stars, were injured and remained in Latvia.

The Latvian players ranged in age from 15-year-old Kaspars Daugaviņš to 31-year-old Grigors Panteļejevs. Captain of the team is Ronalds Ozoliņš, brother of Sandis Ozoliņš of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of the National Hockey League.

HK Rīga 2000 also lost 1-7 in a Dec. 11 game against the Gophers of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, and 2-3 in a Dec. 9 game against the Badgers of the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Plenty of Latvian fans were in the stands for these game, according to reports.

Mārtiņš Lācis, Latvia’s new ambassador to Ireland, has presented his credentials to Irish President Mary McAleese in Dublin, the Latvian Foreign Ministry has announced.

Lācis is the former Latvian ambassador to Greece.

The Latvian embassy in Ireland is located at 14 Lower Leeson St. in Dublin. Latvia also has one honorary consul in Dublin, George McCullagh.

Lācis was replaced in Greece by Jānis Eichmanis.

Four mountain climbers from Latvia—including one of the country’s best-known—have been found dead on Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak, local authorities and media report.

The three men and one woman “had suffered massive trauma indicating a fall of at least 300 metres,” Constable Brent Swanson of the New Zealand Police said in a press release. They most likely were roped together, but rescuers found one climber unroped.

The climbers were identified as well-known alpinist Teodors Ķirsis; his daughter, Evija Ķirse; Ilmārs Bernāns and Aivars Proženkovs, Latvian media reported. New Zealand Police confirmed the identities in a Dec. 11 press release.

The four Latvians appear to have been visiting New Zealand on a climbing expedition. A climbing guide spotted the four early on the morning of Dec. 10 and notified authorities, police said.

Mt. Cook has claimed the lives of numerous climbers over the years, according to The New Zealand Herald. In the past several days, two other climbers had to be rescued after getting into trouble.

Visiting climbers not accustomed to the changing weather conditions on the mountain’s upper slopes have particularly been susceptible to running into trouble, the newspaper reported. But police said the weather on Mt. Cook on Dec. 10 was “beautiful, sunny with clear skies.”

In Latvia, President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga issued a statement expressing her condolences to the families of the four dead climbers.

At 3,754 metres above sea level, Mt. Cook is one of the world’s tallest peaks. Also known as Aoraki in the Maori language, Mt. Cook is part of the Southern Alps on New Zealand’s South Island.