Autographed by 8 Sports Illustrated Cover by 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team

Description

Autographed by 8 Sports Illustrated Cover by 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team
March 3, 1980 Issue
Front & Back Cover Only - Not the entire magazine
Excellent Condition
Autographed By:
Mike Eruzione
Jim Craig
Mark Johnson
Ken Morrow
Mike Ramsey
Dave Christian
Bob Suter
Mark Wells
The "
Miracle on Ice
" was an
ice hockey
game during the
1980 Winter Olympics
in
Lake Placid, New York
. It was played between the hosting
United States
and the
Soviet Union
on February 22, 1980, during the medal round of the men's
hockey tournament
. Though the Soviet Union was a four-time defending gold medalist and heavily favored, the United States
upset
them and won 4–3.
The Soviet Union had won the gold medal in five of the six previous Winter Olympic Games, and they were the favorites to win once more in Lake Placid. The team consisted primarily of veteran players with significant experience in international play. By contrast, none of the young players on the United States' team, led by head coach
Herb Brooks
, had any
National Hockey League
experience, and largely came from
college hockey
ranks. With only four players with minimal professional experience, the United States was the youngest team in the tournament and in U.S. national team history. In the group stage, both the Soviet and U.S. teams were unbeaten; the U.S. achieved surprising results, including a 2–2 draw against Sweden,
[1]
and a 7–3 upset victory over second-place favorite
Czechoslovakia
.
[2]
[3]
For the first game in the medal round, the United States played the Soviets. Finishing the first period tied at 2–2, and the Soviets leading 3–2 following the second, the U.S. team scored two more goals to take their first lead midway in the third and final period, then held on and won 4–3.
[4]
[5]
Two days later, the U.S. won the gold medal by beating
Finland
in their final game. The Soviet Union took the silver medal by beating
Sweden
.
[6]
[7]
The victory became one of the most iconic moments of the Games and in U.S. sports. Equally well-known was the television call of the final seconds of the game by
Al Michaels
for
ABC
, in which he declared: "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" In 1999,
Sports Illustrated
named the "Miracle on Ice" the top sports moment of the 20th century.
[8]
As part of its centennial celebration in 2008, the
International Ice Hockey Federation
(IIHF) named the "Miracle on Ice" as the best international ice hockey story of the past 100 years