It was Feb. 22, 1980, and Team USA took the ice against the Soviets in the Medal Round of the Olympics. The game would later be titled “The top sports moment of the 20th century” by Sports Illustrated in 1999.
How exactly did they get there? The answer was nothing short of a miracle.
It all started with the Olympic committee selecting a coach who knew how to build a championship team. The selection came down to a Minnesota coach, Herb Brooks, after leading Minnesota to three NCAA championships in 1974, 1976 and 1979.
Brooks was a top-tier coach who convinced the committee that the traditional style of American hockey would not be enough to defeat the successful European teams. He suggested a new approach mixing speed and conditioning, similar to the Europeans and the toughness of the Americans.
Brooks was also the final player to be cut from the 1960 Olympic team that went on to win gold. This added another level of personal drive to win on the world’s biggest stage.
When drafting his team, Brooks focused on players that fit his new hybrid-style approach instead of the best overall players. This caused a lot of tension between Brooks and the committee as he was doing it his own way and without the committee’s approval.
He later silenced the crowd after he led team USA to multiple wins on the Olympic stage in Lake Placid, N.Y. in 1980.
The Winter Olympics took place in America during high tensions between the USA and the Soviets. The political tensions rose between the two countries, especially after the nuclear arms race, the Space Race and the race for better and more advanced technology. This competition trickled down to hockey as any win over the opposing side showed strength.
The Soviets controlled the ice for many years, winning five of the six previous Winter Olympic Games before 1980 and were the heavy favorites once again in Lake Placid. The Soviets consisted of professional-level players, meanwhile the United States was comprised of more amateur players on the collegiate level, being the youngest team in the tournament.
Both squads went undefeated in the group stage with Team USA pulling off a shocking 2-2 draw against Sweden and then a monstruous 7-3 win over a second place favorite Czechoslovakia. Even though the Americans showed hope defeating top teams, the Soviets were doing the same and doing it much better.
Defeating Japan 16-0 to start the tournament and then winning 17-4 against the Netherlands and 8-1 against Poland, their box scores did not even look like hockey results. They easily cruised past teams before meeting up with the United States in a game that redefined hockey in America.
The United States still entered as heavy underdogs but soon asserted themselves as true competitors, staying with the faster Soviets and staying in the game. The score was tied 2-2 after the first period and the second period ended 3-2 in favor of the Soviets.
With just one period left to play, the Americans had 20 minutes to pull off the greatest upset in sports history.
The stands were filled with hopeful Americans chanting “U-S-A” anytime they could in hopes of gaining some momentum. A power-play goal by Mark Johnson gave Team USA hope as they tied the game 3-3 early in the third period. At about halfway through the period, team captain Mike Eruzione scored the go-ahead goal to put Team USA up 4-3. All they had to do was maintain the lead for the final minutes.
The final seconds ticked down as broadcaster Al Michaels delivered one of the most famous calls of all time:
“Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”
Two days later the Americans rallied back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Finland 4-2 and take home the gold.
The movie Miracle was released in 2004 starring Kurt Russel as Brooks following the 1980 Olympic events.
Brooks passed away in August 2003, with the film paying tribute to him with the line:
Forty-six years later on the exact day, Feb. 22, Team USA claimed their first gold medal since; defeating Canada 2-1 in an overtime thriller.
The miracle may have started nearly half a century ago, but the legacy continues every time the stars and stripes rise above Olympic ice.