Czechia 4, Latvia 2: Adam Jiricek scored for the third straight game, and Czechia finished Group B play with a win at 3M Arena at Mariucci, on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

“We could have handled the game better. We could have ended the game sooner than in the very end,” Jiricek said. “In the second period we try to do too much, and we skate around and don’t skate back. … We could have scored like two, three goals in the second period and ended the game. We didn’t do that, and that’s why we played until the very end minute.”

Vaclav Nestrasil had a goal and an assist for Czechia (2-1-0-1), and Tomas Poletin (New York Islanders) and Max Psenicka (Utah Mammoth) also scored. Matyas Marik (2026 draft eligible) made eight saves.

“I didn’t like the way we played,” Czechia coach Patrik Augusta said. ” … It didn’t start good for us, we (gave up) a power play goal, and I thought after that, we picked it up. Then we score a few goals. I think the first period was the one that I liked. Second period was totally out of our system. We thought we would score eight goals, and everybody just played on their own, individually. There was no system. We didn’t play together, and it cost us in the third. We wanted to pick it up, and we just couldn’t, because we didn’t deserve it for the way we played in the second period.”

Kristers Ansons (2026 draft eligible) and Markus Sieradzkis (2026 draft eligible) scored for Latvia (1-0-1-2). Nils Maurins made 25 saves.

Ansons scored a power-play goal on a backdoor pass by Bruno Osmanis (2026 draft eligible) to put Latvia ahead 1-0 at 6:00 of the first period.

Poletin tied it at 10:04 when he knocked in a loose puck in the crease.

Jiricek put Czechia ahead 2-1 at 11:19 with a power-play goal off a one-timer from the left face-off circle.

“He’s one of the leaders,” Augusta said of Jiricek. “He’s been around, this is his third [World Juniors], and he’s a big part of our defense, and offense also.”

Psenicka made it 3-1 at 5:31 of the second period when his shot from the outside of the right circle went off the skate of Latvia defenseman Harijs Cjunskis (2026 draft eligible).

Sieradzkis scored a power-play goal at 6:39 of the third period on a one-timer from the left circle to make it 3-2.

“It’s a tough game, we played back-to-back (6-3 win vs. Denmark on Tuesday),” Latvia coach Artis Abols said.” … We were a step behind, but at the same time, we competed hard. The goalie (Nils Maurins) gave us a chance, the power play was good. And at the end it’s a one-goal game.”

Nestrasil scored an empty-net goal at 18:43 for the 4-2 final.

Each team will play in the quarterfinals on Friday, at times to be determined.