Miracle On Ice (1980)

Trey White1-11-12

6th

What Was It?

• The miracle on ice was a hockey game played between the U.S.A and the Soviet Union in a medal round match in the 1980 winter Olympics. This match-up was a highly anticipated game, with an unanticipated winner: The United States.

The Soviet Union

• From 1960-1980, the Soviet Union was considered the best hockey team in history. In the time period, the Soviets were 27-1-1 and outscored opponents 177-44. All of this was achieved with a team that included only amateur players, three of which went on to be enshrined in the hall of fame.

United States

• The U.S team had only one returning player from their 1976 Olympic team, Buzz Schneider, and most were players who played hockey at the University of Minnesota, or Boston University.

Cold War Rivalry

• Due to the Cold War, The Soviet Union and America were naturally rivals. In fact, the tension between America and the Soviets was heated due to a sudden Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on in December of 1979.

The Outcome

• The U.S. hockey team won by a score of 4-3 in what could quite possibly be the most memorable hockey match of all time. The 7th seeded U.S. team had upset the unstoppable soviets, and went on in their next match to take the gold medal in the 1980 winter Olympic games.

Impact of the Media

• The media impacted this event extremely do to the Cold War match up that was taking place. The newspapers and television built up this event, and this event helped America feel better through the Cold War. The results were given to America in a way that would be equal to that of actually winning the war. It is amazing how things such as a hockey game can impact something as large as a war.

Final Seconds of the Match

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbiB7ZZc8XI