February 22: On this Day in History the MIRACLE ON ICE

The Miracle on Ice refers to a hockey game played between the U.S.A. and the Soviet teams during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York on February 22. The Soviets had dominated men’s hockey since 1956, winning gold medals every Olympics except one in 1960 when they lost to the United States team.


The Soviets, deemed the best hockey team in the world, were classified as amateurs, but were essentially professional players who practiced in world class facilities. The U.S.A. team, in contrast, was comprised of college students and NHL aspirants. The Soviets entered the game expecting to dominate the U.S.A. as just a week earlier the Soviets had beaten the Americans 10-3 in an exhibition game at Madison Square Gardens.

The first period ended in a 2-2 tie. The second period ended with the Soviets ahead, 3-2. During the third period, the Americans scored twice giving them the lead. Ten minutes remained in the game and the American goal tender, Jim Craig, successfully defended the goal from an onslaught of Soviet shots. The American team went on to win the gold medal by defeating Finland, but it is the game against the Soviets that is deemed the Miracle on Ice.

The American team’s victory helped bolster Americans’ feeling of national pride and it is this hockey game that popularized the “USA, USA” chant now used at international sporting events. Sports Illustrated voted the Americans’ victory against the Soviets as the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century.

If you would like more information on the Olympic games, the library has a number of books spotlighting a variety of topics including the history of the games, sports and politics, and women in the Olympics. The books may be found in the GV721 area of the collection.