Watch: 35 Years Later, Miracle on Ice Still Gives Us Goosebumps
The 1980 Olympic ice hockey tournament was a sporting event, but the story that emerged from those Games went far beyond “just sports.’’
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It was the ragtag group of college kids from the United States overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to win a gold medal. At a time when the Cold War was still raging on and the U.S. was in need of a pick-me-up, the results of that hockey tournament had ramifications that went well beyond the ice in Lake Placid.
The Soviet Union represented the world standard in hockey. The 1980 Olympic team had won the “Challenge Cup’’ in 1979, winning two out of three games against a team of NHL All-Stars – including a convincing 6-0 third game. The U.S. had upset the Soviets and won gold in the 1960 Olympic Games, but the Soviets had won the next 4 Olympic gold medals leading up to 1980.
Three days before the Olympics, the Soviets won an exhibition game against the American team, 10-3. Ten days later, they met in the first game of the medal round (at that point in time, there was a virtual round robin after group play to determine the medals).
The U.S. had won four games in group play and tied Sweden. The Soviets had won all five of their games, scoring 51 goals in that span. The United States may have had the home ice advantage, but the Soviets were a far more talented group and had been playing together significantly longer than the amateurs in red, white, and blue.
It took a miracle for the United States to be competitive in the game, much less win. It happened anyway. That game was 35 years ago today.
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If you’d rather watch the whole broadcast instead of the highlights, that’s available too.
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Four critical U.S. players were local products who played college hockey at Boston University. Goaltender Jim Craig, a North Easton native; defenseman Jack O’Callahan, a Charlestown native; winger (and captain) Mike Eruzione, a Winthrop native; and winger Dave Silk, a Scituate native all played key roles in bringing home the gold.
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