Mike Eruzione

Michael Eruzione was born on Oct. 25, 1954 in Winthrop, Mass. and is one of the most important figures in USA hockey history due to his role in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y. However, before becoming a national here and sports legend, Eruzione grew up in a large Italian-American family under the tutelage of a working class father. After a successful youth and high school hockey career in the Boston area, Eruzione attended Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine to hone his hockey skills before committing to attend Boston University.

While playing for legendary coach Jack Parker at Boston University, Eruzione posted over 20 goals in each of his four seasons as a Terrier, compiling a career high 64 points during his senior season. While at Boston University, Eruzione also began his international ice hockey career by playing for Team USA at the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1975 and 1976. After college, Eruzione joined the Toledo Goaldiggers of the now defunct International Hockey League and earned IHL Rookie of the Year honors while helping the Goaldiggers win the Turner Cup as league champions in 1978.

Eruzione's life would change its course forever when he was named team captain of the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team. Led by fiery coach Herb Brooks, the USA team defeated the militant and nearly unstoppable Soviet Union team in the semifinals of the tournament before defeating Finland in the in the gold medal game, famously known as the "Miracle on Ice." Eruzione permanently etched his name in the hockey history books by scoring the game clinching goal against the Soviet Union. Aside from captaining the team that notched one of the most impressive achievements in the history of sports, Eruzione finished the tournament with three goals and two assists in just seven games.

After the 1980 Olympics, Eruzione was not drafted by an NHL team and decided to retire from playing ice hockey. Although his playing days were behind him, Eruzione continued his career in the game, working as a broadcaster for numerous networks and even on the coaching staff at Boston University for three seasons. Eruzione and many of his 1980 teammates gathered to celebrate the opening of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The 1980 Olympics were again brought back into the spotlight with the release of the Disney film "Miracle" in 2004. Eruzione was portrayed by actor Patrick O'Brien Demsey in the film.