WEST VALLEY CITY — Like most sequels it wasn't nearly as good as the original, but the U.S. versus Russia in hockey did bring back some great memories for hockey fans who packed the E Center in 2002.
The game was played on the 22 year anniversary - to the day - of the "Miracle on Ice" when coach Herb Brooks upset the mighty Soviet Union hockey team with a group of amateurs most fans had never heard of before.
Most fans hoped for a U.S. versus Canada gold medal game, and the American's 3-2 victory over Russia ensure gave those fans what they wanted. While the U.S. team had to withstand a furious Russian come-back attempt, the Canadians easily won their way into the gold medal game with a 7-1 win over Belarus. Unlike the other three semi-finalsists, Belarus only had one NHL player on its roster.
The day before the U.S. and Canada set up the much-anticipated gold medal game, Bode Miller won his second silver medal. He took second in the men's giant slalom in front of a crowd of 18,000 people.
It was one of the few bright spots for the Alpine team, which was expected to earn more than just Miller's two silver medals in 2002.
On the same day the U.S. beat Russia in West Valley, the U.S. had historically good runs at Utah Olympic Park. Todd Hays, whose four-man bobsled team included Ogden's Billy Schuffenhauer. The crew was in first-place after two runs, but they would fall to second on the final two runs.
Meanwhile, current U.S. bobsled coach, Brian Shimmer and his crew jumped from fifth on Feb. 22 to a bronze medal with two outstanding runs in rounds three and four.
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