42 Yrs Ago on 2-22 A Miracle Up The Road From The Capital Region
2s-day, 2-2-22 is a pretty cool day to celebrate one of the greatest sporting events in U.S. Olympic history and it occurred just up the road from the Capital Region. The "Miracle on Ice" happened 4(2) years ago 2 the day in Lake Placid! Few moments in the memory banks of viewers lucky enough witness and hear ABC-TV's Al Michaels ask the english speaking world, "Do you believe in miracles?"
I still get chills up my spine. I was 16 and a huge hockey fan. My dad was not a hockey but he was U.S Marine WWII veteran, so he rooted hard for the Americans in every sport. 1980 was in the late stages of the 'Cold War' between Russia and the United States. This game seemed to mean more than a final-rounds Olympic hockey match-up. It was one of the coolest experiences that I ever remember having with my dad.
In that time period, the professional hockey players in the NHL were ineligible to participate in Olympic competition, though many proclaimed that the Russians paid their players, so it was an unfair advantage. The United States team comprised by a college hockey coach, Herb Brooks, with a bunch of amateur players was supposed to have no chance to beat the Russians.
It was a late afternoon game in Lake Placid. The scrappy "miracle team" defeated the Russian team 4-3, guaranteeing a medal to Herb Brooks and his infamous crew that included Mike Eruzione, Ken Morrow and of course goalie, Jim Craig. The United States went on to defeat Finland 4-2, two days later to earn their first gold medal since 1960. Even with NHL players, the U.S. team has not won a gold since that magical year in 1980, just up the road from the Capital Region.