Latvia’s 4-2 victory over Norway on May 16 has assured it a 10th place finish in the 2006 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Rīga.

Both Latvia and Norway already had been knocked out of competition for the quarterfinals, so the main purpose of this game was to determine the teams’ final standing. Latvia, the hometown team, ended the tournament with two wins and four losses.

Arvīds Reķis scored Latvia’s first goal on a power play 6 minutes 44 second into the first period. according to a game summary posted on the official championship Web site, IHWC.net. He was was helped by Mārtiņš Cipulis. Just under two minutes later Viktors Bļinovs, assisted by Aleksejs Širokovs, made it 2-0.

Norway got on the scoreboard 10:58 into the second period. Per-Age Skroder took advantage of a power play and got help from Tore Vikingstad and Anders Myrvold. Latvia regained the two-point lead at 16:02 when Lauris Dārziņš, with an assist from Miķelis Rēdlihs, scored.

Latvia’s edge grew by one more goal 13:16 into the third period. Aleksandrs Semjonovs scored on a power play with help from Leonīds Tambijevs. But Norway wasn’t about to go down without a final shot. Just 26 seconds from the end of the game, Kjell Richard Nygard, assisted by Tommy Jakobsen, made the score 4-2.

Goalkeeper Sergejs Naumovs stopped 16 of Norway’s 18 shots on the Latvian goal, while Norway’s Mathias Gundersen deflected 21 of Latvia’s 25 shots. Latvian players spent 12 minutes in the penalty box, compared to the Norwegians’ 18 minutes.

Latvia finished ninth overall in the 2005 championship in Austria and seventh overall in the 2004 championship in the Czech Republic.

(CORRECTED 16 MAY 2006)

The Latvian community in Belgium continues to grow, now numbering about 500, although it faces problems in educating its children, Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks learned during a May 15 meeting in Brussels.

The ethnic language school in Brussels lacks teachers of history and geography, while students who have graduated from Belgian schools face hurdles enrolling in Latvian colleges and universities, Pabriks was told, according to a press release from the ministry.

Pabriks will pursue the matter with the Ministry of Education and Science and will look into creation of a Latvian language track in one of the schools created for children of those working for European Union institutions, the ministry said.

The Latvian society in Belgium has about 40 members and the number is growing, Aldis Austers, deputy head of the society, told Pabriks. The society oversees the school, a choir and theatrical troupe. It is seeking funding from the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration.

Pabriks, according to the foreign ministry, thanked Gita Pāvila for her work in leading the Latvian choir in Belgium. He also noted the work of Ambassador Jānis Lazdiņs and his family, as well as that of Latvian National Committee Chairman Jānis Jerumanis, in maintaining Latvian identity in Belgium.

Latvia’s last game of the qualifying round won’t be until May 16, but it’s already clear the end has come for the hometown team in the 2006 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Rīga.

The United States beat Latvia 4-2 in a May 13 game in Arena Rīga. Despite the loss, the game was a more even match than Latvia’s disastrous showing against Canada two days earlier.

With Sergejs Naumovs in the goal for Latvia and Craig Anderson in for the United States, both sides went scoreless in the first period, according to a game summary posted on the official championship Web site, IHWC.net.

But 59 seconds into the second period, Ryan Malone, assisted by Mark Cullen and Dustin Brown, scored for the United States. Lauris Dārziņš answered at 2:12, scoring Latvia’s first goal. The United States took the lead again at 14:39 into the period, when Brown scored with help from Phil Kessel.

A minute into the third period, Aleksandrs Semjonovs, assisted by Kaspars Daugaviņš, took advantage of the United States being down by a player and tied the score at 2-2. However, the United States retaliated on two more power plays. At 2:27 into the period, Patrick O’Sullivan scored with help from Cullen. And at 9:50, Ryan Suter added another goal to make it 4-2.

Naumovs stopped 23 of 27 shots on goal from the United States, while Anderson stopped all but two of Latvia’s 24 shots.

U.S. players spent 24 minutes in the penalty box, compared to Latvia’s 22.

Latvia faces Norway on May 16. Like Latvia, Norway also is out of contention for the quarterfinals, according to IHWC.net.