Miracle on Ice
The US amateur hockey team defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union 4-3 at the Lake Placid Olympics
February 22, 1980
A Team No One Expected to Win
On February 22, 1980, the United States men's ice hockey team defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, in what is widely considered the greatest upset in American sports history. The Soviet team was the most dominant hockey squad in the world, having won every Olympic gold medal since 1964 with the exception of 1980. Just days before the Olympic tournament began, the Soviets had humiliated the Americans 10-3 in an exhibition game. The U.S. team was made up entirely of young amateur and college players, while the Soviets were full-time professional athletes in all but official classification.
The Game Itself
The U.S. team fell behind but tied the game before the end of the first period. Going into the final period, the score was tied 3-3. Team captain Mike Eruzione scored the go-ahead goal with exactly ten minutes remaining, and American goaltender Jim Craig made save after save as the Soviets pressed to tie. When the final buzzer sounded, broadcaster Al Michaels delivered his famous call: "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" The game was broadcast on tape delay in the United States — NBC had decided a live broadcast wasn't worth the prime-time slot — but the crowd in Lake Placid erupted and news spread rapidly. The team still had to beat Finland two days later to win the gold medal, which they did.
More Than a Hockey Game
The Miracle on Ice happened at a particularly dark moment in American history. The country was gripped by an energy crisis, high inflation, the Iran hostage crisis, and Cold War tensions that had just been inflamed by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The victory over the Soviet hockey team gave Americans a moment of pure, unambiguous triumph over a rival that had seemed unbeatable. Coach Herb Brooks, who had been cut from the 1960 gold-medal Olympic team on the last day of cuts, carefully built and drilled his young team into believers. The game remains a touchstone for anyone who witnessed it, a reminder that underdogs with preparation, belief, and teamwork can beat anyone.