The Soviet Union had won the Olympic ice hockey gold four times in a row, and it had beaten the Americans 10–3 in an exhibition game shortly before the Games. The US team, coached by Herb Brooks, was made up of amateurs and college players. The Cold War gave the semifinal extra weight: the Soviets had recently invaded Afghanistan, and Washington was threatening to boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics. Captain Mike Eruzione scored the winning goal in the third period. Two days later the Americans beat Finland and took the gold medal.
The Soviets were the better team on paper, but the Americans kept pulling level. Midway through the third period Mark Johnson scored to tie the game at 3–3. About 90 seconds later Mike Eruzione, a Boston University graduate and the team captain, beat the Soviet goalie with a 20-foot wrist shot to make it 4–3. Goaltender Jim Craig then held off the Soviet attack for the last ten minutes. He finished the game with 36 saves.
With seconds left, ABC commentator Al Michaels gave the game its name: "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" Brooks had pushed his players hard for months, deliberately needling them so they would unite against him. He had told Craig that playing him in the 10–3 exhibition loss was a mistake, a comment the goalie took as a challenge.
The tournament was not over yet. The Americans still had to beat Finland two days later, which they did, 4–2. During the celebrations after that game, a fan threw an American flag onto the ice. Craig picked it up and wore it around his shoulders like a cape, and that image became one of the most famous pictures of the Games.
Key people: Herb Brooks, Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig, Al Michaels