WINONA, Minn. — When the Saint Mary's University men's hockey team returned to campus after the holiday break, Cardinal coach Ryan Egan found himself without the services of one of his talented forwards.
 
Which may be bad news for coach Ryan Egan — but it's good news for freshman Alberts Kirsons.
 
The Cardinals' line chart didn't include Kirsons when the team returned to action against Lawrence, Northland, and UW-Eau Claire last week, but the freshman forward will be listed on a different line chart — that of the Latvian National Team.
 
While the Cardinals are preparing for this weekend's two-game MIAC series against St. Olaf, Kirsons, who hails from Riga, Latvia, will be representing his home country at the 2023 World University Games in Lake Placid, N.Y.
 
The FISU Word University Games — which will run from January 11-19, 2023 — features 12 teams split into two pools. The group play consists of a 30-game, round-robin held at Clarkson College, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semi-finals in Lake Placid.
 
"Our team and staff are extremely excited for Alberts to have the opportunity to participate in the World University Games," said Egan. "Playing for your country in any way is an honor, and we look forward to watching Alberts as he represents Latvia."