In February of 1980, an ice hockey squad full of American college kids were walking out onto the rink in Lake Placid, New York – about to play the most feared Soviet Union team in history. Everybody watching was ready for yet another victory in their incredible record, which stretched over many years. However, what was about to happen would shock the world so significantly that it would be remembered for years to come.
This specific game of hockey would come to be known as something you’ve most likely heard of – The Miracle on Ice. Arguably one of the greatest David versus Goliath stories in sporting history – one where David donned mismatched gear, had barely graduated college, and had been obliterated 10-3 by Goliath just a few days prior.
The Soviet Union’s star-studded team entered the 1980 Winter Olympics as the dominant force in world ice hockey. Their players were some of the world’s best – full-time professional athletes possessing years of experience and chemistry. They had claimed gold in the last four Winter Olympics and boasted legends of the game, such as Valeri Kharlamov and Vladislav Tretiak.
On the other hand, Team USA’s squad was completely unknown. Containing an average squad age of just 21, the team had no NHL experience, no Olympic medals and no expectations. It was chaotically thrown together – a bunch of kids from LA, Boston and Minnesota, who had known each other less than six months. However, head coach Herb Brooks believed that they had more than enough to take the game to the Soviet powerhouses.
Brooks famously told the team “you’re not good enough to win on talent alone” during one of the many gruelling training camps he forced the team to endure. He was convinced that he didn’t need the best skaters – he just needed a team that would leave everything on the rink, which would be enough to give Team USA a tiny shred of chance. He needed his team to put their heart and soul into everything they competed for.
And they did just that.
With 8,500 watching on the sidelines and millions of fans back home in the States, the match began. Despite falling behind twice in the opening stages, the young US team continued to match the Soviet gameplan stride for stride. After going behind 3-2 early in the second period of the game, they still remained resilient. And then, the magic happened. Mark Johnson slammed home his second of the game to tie the match yet again, before USA captain Mike Eruzione ripped a shot into the net with ten minutes to go to send the New York crowd into raptures.
In the final few minutes, the young side defended like lions. They weren’t just defending their lead, they were defending an impossible dream. Jim Craig in the USA goal made a series of crucial saves until the clock hit zero. As the game ended, commentator Al Michaels delivered one of the most iconic statements in sports history:
“Do you believe in miracles? YES!”
Team USA would eventually go on to win their gold medal match against Finland, however nothing could top the extraordinary feat they had achieved in their win against the Soviet Union. Their win was quickly spoken about as one of sport’s greatest underdog stories. In fact, their triumph was made into the film ‘Miracle on Ice’ the following year, which grossed $64.5million at the box office.
As goalie Jim Craig said – “It shows you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be willing”.
This story is a special reminder of the beauty of the upset – sometimes the miracle is simply believing the impossible can happen.
