On March 1, 2010, Senator Al Franken spoke on the Senate floor to congratulate the 1960 “Forgotten Miracle” team and the 2010 Minnesota Olympians.
John Mayasich, Jack McCartan and Bill Cleary visit with Brian Williams and the NBC Nightly News.
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Free Shipping on New 1960 Forgotten Miracle Hockey T-shirts during the Winter Olympics. (The Tees come in both Red and Blue and are comfortable, high quality, distressed tees, made in the USA, just like the 1960 gold medal) 
Mayasich talks about McCartan’s outstanding performance at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, CA. McCartan, had 39 saves against the Canadians, was called the Olympic MVP by coach Jack Riley.
John Mayasich discusses goalie Jack McCartan from Forgotten Miracle on Vimeo.
This Day in 1960 US Olympic Hockey
Feb. 24, 1960 – Squaw Valley, CA – Team USA runs their Olympic record to 4-0 with a 9-1 win over Germany. In the victory, Bill Cleary netted 4 goals and an assist and John Mayasich added two tallies. The US scored their first two goals on a Power Play after an interference penalty on Germany. The rules in international competition in 1960 required the player to serve the full two minutes of a minor penalty, even if a goal was scored. This allowed the US to capitalize twice on the same power play.
The win also kept the US in a first place medal round tie with a 2-0 record. Still, the US now faced their toughest competition with three games in four days against the best remaining teams in the tournament, Canada, the USSR and Czechoslovakia. The real competition would begin the following day, Feb. 25 when the US faced Canada.
Box Score
USA vs Germany | February 24, 1960
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Scoring
| Period 1 | ||
| USA | 12:37 | W. Cleary (McVey) PP |
| USA | 13:29 | R. Cleary (W. Cleary) PP |
| Period 2 | ||
| USA | 0:55 | Williams (W. Christian, Kirrane) |
| USA | 2:57 | W. Cleary (unassisted) PP |
| GER | 5:42 | Sapp (Unsinn) PP |
| USA | 9:52 | W. Cleary (unassisted) |
| Period 3 | ||
| USA | 5:09 | Johnson (Kirrane) PP |
| USA | 6:02 | Mayasich (Johnson, Meredith) PP |
| USA | 17:58 | W. Cleary (unassisted) |
| USA | 18:49 | Mayasich (W. Cleary, R. Cleary) |
Goalie Saves
| 1 | 2 | 3 | Total | |
| USA, McCartan | 9 | 6 | 8 | 23 |
| GER, Habelsberger | 6 | 13 | 19 | 38 |
Bill Cleary tells the story of Soviet super star Alexandrov getting in trouble with the refs during the Sweden game in the 1960 Squaw Vally Winter Olympics.
Bill Cleary plays ping pong with Alexandrov from Forgotten Miracle on Vimeo.
This Day in 1960 US Olympic Hockey
Feb. 17, 1960 – Squaw Valley, CA – The US roster is completed when John Mayasich arrives from Minnesota. The former University of MInnestoa standout and 1956 silver medalist had long been promised a spot on the team by coach Jack Riley. Mayasich was working and playing hockey in Green Bay, WI. During the pre-Olympic tour, the US Team played teh Green Bay Bobcats, the team Mayasich coached and captained. The Bobcats won 6-3, making it apparent to all that Mayasich was the biggest impact player in the United States. Mayasich, once a high-scoring center, would play defense for the USA.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Bill Ward writes a great spread about the 9 Minnesotans on the 1960 team:
“Twenty years before the “Miracle on Ice,” nine Minnesota hockey players found similar glory, and an inextricable tie to the sport. The saga of Minnesotans on the 1960 U.S. Olympic hockey team reads like the 35-cent novels so popular in that era…..”
To read the entire article visit the startribune.com
Scott Burnside writes a great article about the US Gold Medal team and how “their accomplishments have been dwarfed by the next generation of Olympians who became larger than life in 1980.” To read the entire article please visit ESPN.com
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