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I remember the day clearly.  Although I was just eight years old (the same age as my son during the Olympics in Sochi, Russia) it is very clear.  I was sitting the arm of the couch watching the game in my parent’s basement.  It was amazing.  I did not know the ramifications of this huge win, but I later learned how important this day would be in my life, and the face of hockey in the United States.

It was February 22, 1980, in a small town called Lake Placid, New York.  This was the site of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.  The US team was made up of a young group of college kids.  They were huge underdogs in the tournament, especially to the heavily favored Soviet Union.  The “Red Army” was an amazing team that had been rolling through opponents.  The Soviet Union and United States were huge rivals due to the Cold War.  The countries did not like each other, and either did the hockey teams.

The Soviet team handled the United States 10-3 in an exhibition game less than a month before the Olympics.  The United States team was made up of a bunch of no name kids, and the Soviet Union was made up of a group of players that were known as the best team in the world.

The U.S. had started the Olympics well by tying Sweden 2-2 and defeating Czechoslovakia, Norway, Romania, and West Germany. Then it was time to take on the Soviet Union.  The United States went on to win this impossible game by a score of 4-3.  This shocked the hockey world.  This win advanced the United States to the gold medal game.  Just two days later the United States defeated Finland to win gold.

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This win changed my life and the lives of many Americans.  It made me realize how great hockey was, and how much I wanted to play the game.  For Americans, it drew many together.  It solidified a country in turmoil.  It the midst of the Cold War the American people needed good news.  They needed something to feel good about, and cheer about.  This team of young, no name college kids pulled a country together.  It also bolted hockey into the sports spotlight.

It is one of the most popular sporting events to ever take place.  It changed the game of hockey, and changed how America viewed hockey.  It is a game that will never be forgotten.

It was a final call that I have listened to many times, but remember the first time I heard it like it was yesterday. “Eleven seconds, you’ve got ten seconds, the countdown going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? YES!”