(Originally published by the Daily News on Saturday, Feb. 23, 1980; written by Lawrie Mifflin)

Lake Placid - Not since Jesse Owens ran for gold in Hitler's Germany in 1936 has an athletic triumph stirred such an outpouring of patriotic pride among Americans as the young U.S. Olympic hockey team's stunning 4-3 triumph over the Soviet Union did yesterday.

Because Finland and Sweden tied (3-3) in the second game last night, the U.S. is in a position to assure itself a gold medal with a victory over Finland tomorrow.

By pulling out a game virtually nobody but themselves thought they could win, the plucky U.S. amateurs touched off a near-riot of celebration in this tiny village, as fans who had overflowed the 8,500-seat Olympic Fieldhouse flooded into the streets after the game, chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A," hugging each other, waving flags and even singing the National Anthem. They joined thousands more across the street on Mirror Lake, where the daily Olympic medal ceremony is held, and the celebration spread across the lake like a forest fire - while the ceremony's fireworks boomed and cascaded across the sky.

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Watch the last minute of play below and the "it's over" from Ken Dryden who was the analyst with play-by-play man Al Michaels.