U.S. Hockey Team Wins Olympic Gold
On this day in 1980, the U.S. hockey team beat Finland to win the Gold Medal at the Lake Placid Olympics. What really captured the country's imagination occurred two days earlier in the semi-finals. The young Americans' thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Soviet Union, remembered ever since as the "miracle on ice," showed that speed and endurance could outweigh experience and technical skill. In a sport long dominated by Canadians and Russians, the victory boosted the popularity of hockey in the U.S. and raised the nation's spirits. Four of the team's players hailed from Massachusetts, including the goalie, Jim Craig, and the captain, Mike Eruzione, who scored the winning goal.
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