On this day in New York · February 24, 1980
Miracle on Ice Finishes the Job
Two days after the upset for the ages, the U.S. hockey team still had to beat Finland for the gold, and for one period at Lake Placid it looked like they might blow it.
The facts
- Date
- February 24, 1980
- Final score
- United States 4, Finland 2
- Score after two periods
- Finland led 2-1
- The turnaround
- Team USA scored three unanswered goals in the third period
On February 24, 1980, the U.S. Olympic hockey team faced Finland at Lake Placid needing a win to convert its stunning upset of the Soviet Union two days earlier into an actual gold medal. The Americans trailed 2-1 after two periods, and between the second and third Herb Brooks lit into his players rather than easing off. Team USA answered with three unanswered goals in the third period to win 4-2 and clinch the gold. President Jimmy Carter called the locker room afterward, and captain Mike Eruzione waved his teammates up onto the one-man podium to receive their medals together.
In their words
The day in the words of the people who were there. Every quote is verbatim, and every source links out so you can check it.
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If you lose this game, you'll take it to your fucking graves.
Herb Brooks, to the U.S. team between the second and third periods, as recounted by Mike Eruzione
Source: Wikipedia
Why it still matters
The Soviet win made the legend, but Lake Placid only got its gold medal because the U.S. beat Finland two days later, a game history has mostly forgotten in favor of the miracle that came before it.
Sources
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