1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, with Four BU Players, Gets Congressional Gold Medal
In the second installment of her video series, "Leaders Among Us," BU President Melissa Gilliam speaks with Mike Eruzione (Wheelock’77), captain of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” gold medal–winning hockey team, about leadership and receiving the nation’s highest civilian honor.
1980 Olympic Hockey Team, with Four BU Players, Gets Congressional Gold Medal
1980 Olympic Hockey Team, with Four BU Players, Gets Congressional Gold Medal
The 1980 gold-medal winning US Olympic men’s hockey team, which starred four Boston University players, has received the Congressional Gold Medal, the country’s highest civilian honor, after congressionally approved legislation was signed conferring the medal. Mike Eruzione (Wheelock’77), director of special outreach for Boston University Athletics, who captained the team as one of the four Terriers playing for the United States, traveled to Washington on Friday to receive the medal.
The honor recognizes the team of young amateur upstarts that shocked the world with its defeat of the heavily favored Soviet Union, a victory that was deemed by Sports Illustrated as the 20th century’s top sports moment. The US team’s 4-3 win in Lake Placid, N.Y., earned the nickname “Miracle on Ice” from ABC’s Al Michaels after his famous play-by-play call of the game’s conclusion: “Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” The skaters subsequently beat Finland for the gold—the last time US men’s ice hockey claimed the Olympics top spot.
Getting the (congressional) gold is “pretty amazing,” says Eruzione. The other BU players were goalie Jim Craig (Wheelock’80, MET’09), Jack O’Callahan (CAS’79), and David Silk (CAS’80).
“To me, that’s the ultimate honor you can give a team or an individual,” Eruzione says. “It’s not a sporting award. It’s not like getting something from ESPN or some sports company. This is for your country, and I’ve said many times there’s no greater feeling than putting on a USA jersey. And for us to have the success that we had and to be honored this way is pretty special.”
Three medals will be awarded: for display, at Lake Placid’s Olympic Center, the US Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minn.
See the president’s video series Leaders Among Us here.