Phil C
02-07-2006, 10:42 AM
The Miracle on Ice is used to refer to our great Winter Olympics win that our 1980 USA Hockey team got over the Russians on their way to getting the gold medal. But the first miracle on ice actually took place 20 years earlier at the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. This was the first time the USA Olympics Hockey team won the gold medal and it was a miracle also. That year the USA team was not given a chance to get to the medal round. The Russians had won the 1956 Olympics and Canada had dominated hockey and had got a great team together and most thought those two teams would play for the gold. Czechoslavakia also was considered a contender as was Sweden. The USA was expected to get fifth place at best. All these teams got past the preliminary round and then in the medal round the USA had to face all four of the other top teams. The USA was led by forwards Billy Cleary and Roger Christian and goaltender Jack McCartan (who played great). Herb Brooks was the last one to be cut from the team and he would later coach the 1980 Olympic Team to the gold medal plus he had great success at Minnesota coaching college hockey winning several national championships.
In the gold medal round the USA first beat Sweden 6 to 3. Then came the big game against Canada that the USA won 2 - 1. McCartan stopped many shots that the Canadians made and was magnificient. When the USA upset Canada the USA realized they had a great team when they played the Russians. The USA won the game against Russia 3 to 2 and outplayed the Russians.
Then came the final game against the Czechs and the USA had trouble in this game and were behind 4 to 3 at the end of the second period (in hockey there are only three time periods). The Russian Captain showed great sportsmanship as he came to the USA locker room and told them to give the players oxygen which helped clear their heads. Of course he may also have had other motivies because Russian needed the USA to win to get a bronz medal or else they would go home without one which would have been a great disgrace. The USA team went on to win the game 9 to 4 as they exploaded in the third quarter with six goals and won the gold medal.
That afternoon they were awarded the gold medal and celebrated then many of them went home and even though everyone was happy they did not receive the fan fare the players in 1980 received nor were they even invited to the white house. One of them left that evening and took the plane home and was at work the next day at 8 in the morning.
But they were the first miracle on ice. This was documented last night on ESPN classics and I hope you get to see it when it is rerun in the future because this great team deserves to be remembered. Go USA!
In the gold medal round the USA first beat Sweden 6 to 3. Then came the big game against Canada that the USA won 2 - 1. McCartan stopped many shots that the Canadians made and was magnificient. When the USA upset Canada the USA realized they had a great team when they played the Russians. The USA won the game against Russia 3 to 2 and outplayed the Russians.
Then came the final game against the Czechs and the USA had trouble in this game and were behind 4 to 3 at the end of the second period (in hockey there are only three time periods). The Russian Captain showed great sportsmanship as he came to the USA locker room and told them to give the players oxygen which helped clear their heads. Of course he may also have had other motivies because Russian needed the USA to win to get a bronz medal or else they would go home without one which would have been a great disgrace. The USA team went on to win the game 9 to 4 as they exploaded in the third quarter with six goals and won the gold medal.
That afternoon they were awarded the gold medal and celebrated then many of them went home and even though everyone was happy they did not receive the fan fare the players in 1980 received nor were they even invited to the white house. One of them left that evening and took the plane home and was at work the next day at 8 in the morning.
But they were the first miracle on ice. This was documented last night on ESPN classics and I hope you get to see it when it is rerun in the future because this great team deserves to be remembered. Go USA!