When College Kids Prepared to Face the Soviets

# The Miracle on Ice Begins: January 7, 1980

On January 7, 1980, the stage was set for what would become one of the greatest underdog stories in sports history, though nobody knew it yet. This was the day the U.S. Olympic hockey team began their final preparations before heading to Lake Placid, New York, for the XIII Winter Olympic Games.

Under the guidance of head coach Herb Brooks, a collection of college kids and amateur players was about to embark on a journey that would culminate in the legendary "Miracle on Ice" just over a month later. But January 7 marked a crucial moment in their preparation – the team's final roster was solidified, and the reality of what lay ahead began to sink in.

Brooks, a stern taskmaster who had been cut from the 1960 U.S. Olympic team (which won gold), was determined to build something special. He had spent months assembling a roster primarily from college programs, with a heavy emphasis on players from his University of Minnesota squad and their rivals from Boston University. The selection process had been brutal and methodical – Brooks was looking for chemistry, speed, and players who could execute his revolutionary hybrid system that blended North American physicality with European-style skating and passing.

What made this team so remarkable wasn't just their youth and inexperience – with an average age of 21, they were true amateurs facing professional Soviet and European teams – but Brooks's unconventional approach. He deliberately created tension, made himself the common enemy, and pushed his players beyond what they thought possible. His infamous bag skate after a disappointing exhibition game against Norway had already become legendary among the players.

As January 7 dawned, these young men – including future NHL stars like Mike Eruzione (the captain), Jim Craig (goaltender), and Mark Johnson – were about to face the seemingly impossible task of competing against the Soviet Union's Big Red Machine, which had won four consecutive Olympic gold medals and hadn't lost an Olympic game since 1968.

The Americans were given virtually no chance. Sports Illustrated and most hockey experts predicted they wouldn't medal. The Soviets had destroyed the NHL All-Stars 6-0 just weeks earlier in the Challenge Cup.

But Brooks believed. And on this day in 1980, as final preparations intensified, the foundation was set for a miracle that would transcend sports and become a defining moment of Cold War-era America, proving that heart, determination, and belief could overcome even the longest odds.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI