This Day in History:, U.S. Hockey Team Beats the
Soviets in the 'Miracle on Ice'.
February 22, 1980.
The underdog U.S. team defeated the
four-time defending gold medal Soviet team
at the XIII Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York.
The U.S. win is considered one of the
most dramatic upsets in Olympic history.
The Soviet squad fell to the youthful
American team 4-3 before a frenzied
crowd of 10,000 spectators.
The American team trailed most of the game,
finally taking the lead with ten minutes left.
When the final horn sounded, the players,
coaches and team officials poured
onto the ice in celebration.
To many Americans, the "Miracle on Ice"
represented a Cold War victory