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.

After a thrashing by the Canadians in the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, Latvia’s ice hockey team now faces a must-win game against Slovenia.

Host Canada beat the Latvians 7-0 in a May 4 preliminary round game in Halifax, Nova Scotia. If Latvia loses to Slovenia as well, the team will be sent down to the relegation round.

It did not take the Canadians long to get the upper hand. The first goal came 2 minutes, 5 seconds into the first period. Patrick Sharp, assisted by Jamal Mayers and Ed Jovanovski, scored against Latvian goalie Edgars Masaļskis, according to official game statistics provided by the IIHF. Mike Green scored next at 3:45, helped by Dany Heatley. Heatley, in turned, scored at 12:15, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf.

A series of three quick goals by the Canadians opened the second period. Rick Nash scored at 1:03 on a power play, assisted by Brent Burns and Heatley. Just 57 seconds later, Martin St. Louis scored with help from Jason Spezza. And at 2:42 into the period, Chris Kunitz made it 6-0 with help from Derek Roy.

The Latvians then took Masaļskis out and put in Sergejs Naumovs as goaltender, but to little avail. At 12:20 into the period, Nash got the puck past Naumovs as well, with help from Getzlaf and Heatley.

No one scored in the third period.

Compared to the May 2 match against the United States, when Latvia was outshot two to one, the game against Canada was tighter. Canada had 37 shots on goal, while Latvia had 30. However, the Canadians were much more effective.

The Latvians also were dogged by penalties, racking up 39 minutes in the box, compared to just 8 for the Candians. Forward Raitis Ivanāns alone accounted for 25 minutes, ejected with penalties for spearing and game misconduct after a third period run-in with Canada’s Getzlaf, who got 2 minutes for roughing.

The game against Slovenia is scheduled at 8:15 p.m. May 6 in the Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia.