The 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, saw one of the greatest upsets in sports history. The United States men’s ice hockey team, made up of amateur and collegiate players, faced off against the heavily favored Soviet Union team in the semi-finals.

The Soviets had dominated international ice hockey for years, winning the gold medal in every Olympics since 1964. Meanwhile, the Americans had not won a medal in ice hockey since 1960. Many considered it a foregone conclusion that the Soviet team would easily defeat the young American team.

But the game turned out to be anything but predictable. The Soviets took an early lead with a goal in the first period, but the Americans fought back hard in the second period, scoring two goals to take the lead. The Soviet Union tied the game early in the third period, but the Americans refused to give up.

With just ten minutes left in the game, Mike Eruzione scored what would become known as the miracle goal to give the U.S. the lead again. The Soviet Union tried desperately to score a tying goal, but was held off by the incredible goaltending of Jim Craig.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Americans had pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history. The crowd erupted in cheers and chants of USA! USA! as the team celebrated on the ice.

The US team went on to beat Finland in the gold medal game, completing their historic run and securing their place in history. The Miracle on Ice remains one of the most memorable moments in Olympic history, an incredible underdog story that inspired a nation and captured the hearts of sports fans worldwide.