Ice hockey striker Zwerger is thrilled by the fans in Zurich

Against Latvia The ÖEHV team has the best memories from last year, but goes into the game on Tuesday (4.20 p.m./live ORF 1) in Zurich as underdogs.

“We don’t have to kid ourselves because we succeeded in everything last year,” said team boss Roger Bader. In the duel for the quarter-finals, his team celebrated a 6-1 victory in Stockholm and qualified for the knockout rounds for the first time in 31 years. The Latvia game is also a key game this year if they want to play for the quarter-finals again.

“The players play in the top European leagues, they are fast, they are skilled, they do hard forechecks,” analyzed Bader. The tenth in the world rankings relies on a lot of routine and has Sandis Vilmanis The Florida Panthers have an NHL player there and can go with them Krister GudlevskyDEL goalkeeper of the year 2025, rely on secure support.

The Latvians won bronze at the World Cup three years ago, but then missed out on promotion from the group stage twice. With a 2-0 win against Germany in Zurich, they have opened the door to the quarter-finals. If they follow up against Austria, their ticket can no longer be taken away. “It will be a very tough game, they are all physically and technically very good. It will be a fighting game, it’s about the dirty work and we just have to play,” explained Dominic Zwerger.

Zwerger wants to create something memorable again

The Swiss legionnaire was one of the match winners last year with a brace. “It was a complete team effort, a very great game. I will always look back on it positively. We want to create even more positive memories for the future,” said the wing, who was also the “can opener” against Hungary with the goal to make it 2-1.

The feeling after the two successes “is very cool. The games were so emotional, I screamed about the good things everyone had done. It brought positive energy, it’s the solidarity of the team that makes us so strong,” said Zwerger, also highlighting the loud support from the stands. “What the Austrian fans are doing here is unbelievable. It’s a goosebumps atmosphere. Thank you for the support.”

You can also use it against the Balts, who are also supported by numerous and loud fans. “We are still the underdogs. But I have no doubt that we can score points there too,” said Clemens Unterweger. The previous appearances have also included Thimo Nickl strengthened confidence. “We have shown in the last few years that we have taken an incredible step forward. The fact that we are still able to do it this year after so many rejections is breathtaking,” said the defender, who played a big part in this with two goals and two assists.

In preparation there were two tests against Latvia, in Riga there was one win and one defeat. Bader raves about the enthusiasm there, as both test matches were well attended with 9,000 fans each: “They showed us what a top nation is.”