After taking a first-period lead, Latvia nonetheless fell 2-1 to Finland during a high-fire May 9 qualifying round game in the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Halifax, Canada.

More than 90 shots on goal were attempted by the two teams during the game, 64 by Finland and 27 by Latvia.

Latvia got on the scoreboard 1 minute, 47 seconds into the game, when Lauris Dārziņš scored with help from Miķelis Rēdlihs and Rodrigo Laviņš, according to statistics compiled by the IIHF.

Finland replied in the second period. At 9:21 into the period, Antti Pihlstrom shot the puck past Latvian goalie Edgars Masaļskis. Janne Niskala and goalkeeper Niklas Backstrom earned the assists.

At 10:04 into the third period, N. Kapanen got Finland’s second goal with help from Sami Lepisto and Pihlstrom.

Latvian players spent a total of 26 minutes in the penalty box, compared to 14 minutes for Finland.

In the qualifying round, Latvia next faces Norway in a game set at 12:30 p.m. May 11 in Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia. After that Latvia goes up against Germany in a match scheduled at 8:15 p.m. May 12 also in Halifax.

With a 3-0 victory over Slovenia, the Latvian squad has managed to avoid relegation at the close of its preliminary round of the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Canada.

The Latvians made quick work of the Slovenes, according to statistics of the May 6 game provided by the IIHF. After a scoreless first period in the Halifax Metro Centre, Latvia’s Aleksandrs Ņiživijs earned the team’s first goal on a penalty shot 10 minutes, 5 seconds into the second period. A little more than a minute later, Aleksejs Širokovs took advantage of a power play to make it 2-0, slipping the puck past Slovenia’s goaltender, Robert Kristan. Jānis Sprukts and Mārtiņš Cipulis were credited with assists.

Širokovs also scored Latvia’s third goal. At 9:32 into the third period, assisted by Cipulis, he shot into an empty Slovene net.

Goaltender Edgars Masaļskis was in the Latvian net for the entire game.

Overall, the Latvians had 37 shots on goal compared to 17 for the Slovenes. Slovenia spent 16 minutes in the penalty box, while the Latvians spent 12.

The Latvian team, which before the championship was ranked 10th in the world, now advances to the qualification round where it will face Finland and two other national teams from among Germany, Norway and Slovakia. The qualification round lineup will not be clear until after two preliminary games to be played May 7.

Latvia’s first game in the qualification round is scheduled at 12:30 p.m. May 9 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

About 500 Latvians from abroad—including a folklore ensemble from Luxembourg that accounts for nearly 10 percent of the total—will be among the thousands of singers and dancers participating in this summer’s All Latvian Song and Dance Festival, according to event organizers in Rīga.

The diaspora Latvians will be coming from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Groups include three folk dance troupes, the 49-member folklore ensemble from Luxembourg and 13 choirs, said Aiva Rozenberga, spokeswoman for the song festival.

The festival runs from July 5-12 in Rīga. The choirs will participate in the opening and closing concerts, while the dance troupes will take part in the grand performance in the Daugava Stadium.

Among the Latvian groups from abroad registered for the song festival are the Swedish-Danish Latvian Choir, directed by Arta Stepiņa; the Latvian Choir of Canada, directed by Andrejs Vītols; the Berlin Latvian Choir, directed by Rudīte Līvmane-Lindenbeck; the Latvian Choir of Stockholm, directed by Gaida Rulle; the Canadian folk dance troupe Daugaviņa led by Selga Apse; the Chicago Men’s Choir, directed by Māra Vārpa; the Straumēni Mixed Choir from the United Kingdom; the Latvian Choir eLVē from Ireland; the New York Latvian Choir, directed by Andrejs Jansons; the Jampadracis Latvian folk dance troupe from Ireland, led by Solveiga Slaidiņa; the folklore group Dzērves from Luxembourg, led by Aiga Ožehovska; and the Sydney Men’s Choir from Australia.

The number of diaspora participants has decreased since 1990, the first year Latvians from abroad significantly participated in a song festival in the homeland. A total of 841 diaspora Latvians in 28 groups were part of the 20th All Latvian Song and the 10th Dance Festival, according to festival organizers.

In 1993, a total of 27 Latvian groups from abroad with 700 persons participated in the 21st All Latvian Song and 11th Dance Festival.

Song festival organizers did not provide data for the 1998, 2001 or 2003 festivals, but Rozenberga confirmed that the number of diaspora participants has continued to decrease.