There are few moments in sports that can stand the test of time, The Miracle on Ice happened over thirty years ago but for most people it must feel like yesterday.
The story itself seems a little over-the-top to begin with, a bunch of collegiate players from the United States who were blown out in an exhibition match by the same dominant-Russian team only months prior, come back to beat them for a chance at the gold medal.
United States was under the grip of the Cold War and had to deal with the Iran hostage crisis. The nation needed someone to come through for them but they probably weren't thinking of a hockey team to bring them hope.
The Russians at the time were the most dominant force in hockey and appeared to be in cruise-control to get to the gold medal round. However, USA coach Herb Brooks decided to work his team to the brink of exhaustion in practice but maybe that might have been the catalyst to the USA winning.
The young sportscaster in charge of calling the said matchup for ABC was Al Michaels was given the coverage of the Men's Hockey.
The game itself was a back and forth affair going into the third period as the Russians held a 3-2 lead. A goal by Mark Johnson tied the score at 3-3 at about the 8:39 mark and appeared to give the USA hope in possibly taking the victory.
Nearing the ten minute mark of the final period, USA Mark Pavelich found an open Mike Eruzione who skated past Russian defenders to score the eventual game-winning gold.
As the crowd counted down, the famous call of Al Michaels, "Do You Believe in Miracles?" helped cement the legacy of this game.
Most tend to forget that this was not the game for the gold medal which the United States won with a 4-2 win over Finland. However, that victory somehow gave the downtrotten United States hope that things would change for the better. Victories in sports rarely have this widespread of an affect but this one might have. Some have even said that the game helped start the chant of "USA! USA! USA!"
Although, it's been 30 years since that day in Lake Placid, New York, the memories are still fresh from arguably the greatest upset in sports history. The story itself of a group of plucky kids who beat the Russians resonates with most people, the ultimate underdog story come to light.
"The Miracle on Ice", a story-book ending that was written on the ice.
The Miracle on Ice: 30 Years Later
