The Miracle On Ice: 35 Years Later

When the US Olympic Hockey Team took the ice against the Soviet Union Olympic hockey team on February 22nd, 1980, no one – and I mean absolutely NO ONE – thought the US team had a chance against their then Cold War rivals. The game was held in Lake Placid, New York. Al Michaels, who is still broadcasting to this day, was calling the game on that historic day alongside former Montreal Canadians goalie Ken Dryden. The game was telecasted on ABC.

The reasoning behind the doubt was because the US team was mainly amateurs – people no one really knew, while the Soviets had highly professional hockey players on their Olympic hockey team.

“The moment is your’s,” USA coach told his team prior to the game. Their moment came with ten minutes left in the third period, when the US’ Michael Eruzione scored the winning goal. The US team defeated the Soviet Union, 4-3. The win for the US was more than just a win- it was a miracle.

The win snapped the Soviet Union’s 21-game Olympic game win streak, their first loss in an Olympic game since 1968. As for the US team, tears were shed in the locker room after game, according to a Washington Post article from February 23rd, 1980, a day after The Miracle On Ice.

“I still can’t believe this happened,” Eruzione said. No one could believe it. Al Michaels made his voice heard that night. As he counted down the final ten seconds, he said “Do you believe in miracles?” That quote is still famous thirty five years after being spoken by the long-time ABC and NBC sportscaster.

The US also went on to “win” the Cold War, with the destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1992. This leaves the question of whether or not the US Olympic Hockey team win over the Soviets was a foreshadowing to what would become. Whether it was or not, no one can deny that the win was definitely a miracle- a Miracle On Ice.