Miracle On Ice Research Paper

“Miracle on Ice” On February 22, 1980 history was made. In the midst of the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, Team U.S.A managed to beat the U.S.S.R. team in a fierce hockey game during the XIII Winter Olympic Games. Due to the numerous American defeats throughout the entirety of the Cold War, ranging from the conflicts at Vietnam, the U2 incident, and the vast spread of communism, “The Miracle on Ice” boosted American morale towards the fight against the Soviet Union at a time when they needed it most. The XIII Winter Olympic Games took place in Lake Placid, NY. The U.S.A hockey team was seen as weak compared to that of the U.S.S.R.’s. While the Soviet team were ranked #1, the U.S.A was ranked only 7th. This game was one everyone was watching, whether they were in the stands or watching on their TV. With just twelve minutes to go, Team U.S.A. player Mark Johnson scored a goal to tie the score 3-3. This caused Americans to cheer even louder for their team as they never thought this game could be this close. Just two minutes later, Mike Eruzione scored another goal for …show more content…
Not only were we unable to sneak into Soviet air-space without getting caught but President Eisenhower also had tried to deny it at first ("Cold War Crises in the 1960s.”). However, because the Soviet Union took the aircraft and its pilot, Francis Gary Powers, as evidence, Eisenhower later had to confess to this mission but refused to apologize for it. The downing of this American spy plane by the Soviet Union in 1960 made the country feel defeated once again. This aircraft was a key component in the arsenal of the United States. It was supposed to gather information about the missile capability of the Soviet Union to put us ahead in the war effort but instead backfired and put us further behind. The United States was once again overshadowed by the efforts of the Soviet Union ("U-2