Feb. 24, 1980

Even with its victory over the mighty Soviets two days earlier, the seventh-seeded U.S. hockey team still needs to beat Finland today to win the Olympic gold medal at Lake Placid, N.Y. A loss, and the gold goes to the Soviet Union.

Left wing Rob McClanahan says he didn't sleep after the Soviet victory "and I won't sleep again tonight. Because if I sleep, there'll always be the chance that this was a dream."

It's no dream, though it looks like a potential nightmare as the U.S. trails Finland 2-1 after two periods. But then Phil Verchota ties the game, McClanahan scores the game-winner and Mark Johnson tacks on a late short-handed goal to give Team America (6-0-1) the 4-2 victory and the gold medal.

And when it's over, the country is treated to one more unforgettable moment. There's goalie Jim Craig, draped in an American flag, skating around the ice and searching the stands for his widowed father.

In the locker room, the U.S. team receives a congratulatory call from President Jimmy Carter, just as it had two days earlier. Coach Herb Brooks tells the President, "This is a great win for the American people. It proves our way of life is the right way."