Beating the Soviets: Mike Eruzione on the 1980 Olympic Upset
Our American Stories
iHeartPodcasts
4.6 • 817 Ratings
🗓️ 5 January 2026
⏱️ 11 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Our American Stories, it was the Cold War on ice, and no one expected Team USA to win. But in 1980, a ragtag group of college kids stunned the world when they beat the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. Mike Eruzione, captain of the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team and the man who scored the game-winning goal, tells the inside story of one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:14.6 | The U.S. team is depending a little bit too much now on Jim Craig. |
| 0:18.0 | He's making too many good saves. |
| 0:19.6 | Maruzziot. |
| 0:20.2 | He was. By Mar making too many good saves. Arruse. Arr! Gior's! |
| 0:21.3 | By the Rousione! |
| 0:24.8 | Now we've got that look. |
| 0:26.6 | Oh, I love Brooks' reaction. |
| 0:28.3 | Here it is again. |
| 0:29.7 | Here's Arruzioni, using the defense but as a screen, a good low shot. |
| 0:34.6 | And we continue here with our American stories. |
| 0:38.4 | And our own Greg Hangler brings us this next story, and it's one that's close to his heart. |
| 0:43.9 | He grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and hockey is more than a pastime to folks living in that part of the country. |
| 0:51.0 | It is the greatest American underdog sports story ever told how a team of college kids |
| 0:57.4 | and unsigned amateurs under the tutelage of legendary coach and legendary taskmaster, |
| 1:03.3 | Herb Brooks, beat the elite Soviet hockey team on their way to winning the gold medal |
| 1:08.6 | at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. |
| 1:11.8 | Mike Arruzioni served as the captain. |
| 1:14.6 | The highlight of the games for Mike was scoring the game-winning goal against the Soviet Union, |
| 1:19.9 | the one you just heard. |
| 1:21.7 | Here's Mike Arruzioni with his story. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from iHeartPodcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of iHeartPodcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.