Christensen hat-trick puts Denmark into second round

BRATISLAVA, May 4 (Reuters) - A hat-trick from Denmark's Mads Christensen's secured a 3-2 win over Latvia at the world

championship on Wednesday and a place in the qualification round
along with Norway who thrashed Austria 5-0.
                                                                   
Christensen opened the scoring in the second minute but
Martins Cipulis tied the scores four minutes into the second
period before Christensen got his second five minutes later.

                                                                   
Jekabs Redlihs denied the Danes, who had lost their previous
two matches in Group D, a victory in normal time when he scored
in the 36th minute to send the game into overtime.

                                                                   
Christensen, a 24-year-old forward who plays for Eisbaren
Berlin, netted the winner in the shootout to send the Danes
through and consign Latvia to the relegation round for the first
time in four years.

                                                                   
"I'm so happy, it was a very hard game. It is a relief to be
in the next round," defenseman Daniel Nielsen told reporters.

                                                                   
Norway advanced from Group C after crushing Austria in the
eastern Slovak town of Kosice and will take two points into the
qualifiers from an overtime win over rivals Sweden on Saturday.

                                                                   
Austria will play Latvia, Belarus and Slovenia in the
relegation round.