Latvian hockey fans hoping for an exciting match against Switzerland got their money’s worth April 30 as their team emerged with a 2-1 victory at the end of a dramatic and penalty filled game.

The Latvians and the Swiss faced each other as the qualfiying round of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championship got underway in Bern, Switzerland. For the second time this week, the Latvians were forced into a shootout to resolve a game.

The Swiss kept Latvia’s defense busy, letting loose shot after shot against goaltender Edgars Masaļskis, according to a game summary posted on the IIHF’s Web site, www.iihf.com. But it was the Latvians who scored first. At 15:30 into the first period, Mārtiņš Cipulis on a power play got the puck past Swiss goalkeeper Martin Gerber. Cipulis was assisted by Herberts Vasiļjevs and Aleksandrs Niživijs.

The teams went scoreless through the second period, even though the Swiss kept up their attacks and both squads continued to rack up penalty minutes. The Swiss even got called for having too many players on the ice.

But just as the game seemed to be about done, the Swiss regrouped. With Latvia’s Kristaps Sotnieks cooling off in the penalty box, the Swiss pulled Gerber out of their net, added another player to the offense and took advantage of a power play. With 90 seconds to go in the third period, Switzerland’s Andres Ambühl, assisted by Roman Wick and Mark Streit, evened up the score and forced the game into overtime.

Five minutes of overtime failed to resolve the outcome, leading to a shootout that Latvia won thanks to Niživijs. Two days earlier, Latvia had surprised Sweden in a shootout victory.

For the game, Switzerland had 39 shots on goal compared to Latvia’s 22. Latvian players spent 22 minutes in the penalty box, compared to 12 for the Swiss.

Latvia now has a day off. It will face France in a game scheduled to begin at 16:15 Swiss time on May 2 in Bern’s PostFinance Arena. Latvia then goes up against perennial rival Russia—last year’s world champion—in a game set May 3.

President Valdis Zatlers is asking state and Rīga officials to develop an action plan to ensure the safety of foreign tourists visiting Latvia’s capital city, the president’s press office announced April 29.

In a letter to Interior Minister Linda Mūrniece, Economics Minister Artis Kampars, Foreign Minister Māris Riekstiņš and Rīga Mayor Jānis Birks, the president said he is concerned with the inability of government institutions to guarantee tourists’ safety and prevent damage to Latvia’s reputation.

The criminal and administrative codes provide enough power to penalize those who break the law, Zatlers said in the letter. He criticized authorities as being either incompetent or unwilling to enforce the law.

A number of foreign governments have for months been warning about increasing dangers facing tourists in Latvia’s capital.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office, for example, warns of “an increased number of reports recently of foreign tourists being charged extortionate prices for drinks in bars or having fraudulent transactions debited against credit/debit cards.” The warning adds that some tourists have been assaulted or forced to withdraw money from automatic teller machines.

Similarly, the U.S. State Department cautions tourists in Latvia.

“Street crime is a serious problem, particularly for tourists,” warns the department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs. “In addition to pickpockets in all public areas, there are numerous scam artists targeting foreigners in the tourist pubs and restaurants.”

Non-Caucasian foreigners and “individuals displaying alternative lifestyles” have been victims of verbal and sometimes physical harassment, the bureau adds.

Recently Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation has warned that Rīga is bad news for Finnish tourists. More than 40 cases of crimes against Finnish tourists are suspected to have occurred in 2008, according to the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.

The latest issue of the Latvian tourism trade magazine Tūrisms devoted its cover story to the problem of taxi drivers and bar owners who cheat customers. According to the magazine, about 10 bars in Rīga are particularly problematic.

More than 5.2 million foreign tourists visited Latvia in 2007, according to the Central Statistical Bureau in Rīga.

Following a 2-0 victory over Austria, Latvia has advanced to the qualifying round of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championship and will next face hometown team Switzerland.

The game was played before a crowd of about 5,200 hockey fans in the PostFinance Arena in Bern.

Latvia got its first goal with just 45 seconds left in the first period, according to a game summary posted on the IIHF’s Web site, www.iihf.com. Mārtiņš Cipulis shot the puck past Austrian goalkeeper Bernd Bruckler. Herberts Vasiļjevs and Kārlis Skrastiņš were credited with the assist.

The two sides went scoreless through the second period. With just more than five minutes left to play in the third period, Latvia’s Guntis Dzeriņš made it 2-0 with help from Miķelis Rēdlihs.

Latvia had 37 shots on goal, compared to 21 for Austria. Edgars Masaļskis guarded Latvia’s goal.

Latvian players earned a total of 31 minutes in the penalty box, compared to Austria’s 18.

With the victory, Latvia finished third in its preliminary round group. The United States was first and Sweden second. Austria, last in the group, will be sent to the relegation round.

Latvia will go up against Switzerland in a game scheduled at 20:15 hours Swiss time April 30.