Irish America

Irish America

Hockey

The 1980 Winter Olympics: “Miracle on Ice”

By Abdon Pallasch
IA Newsletter February 19, 2022

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  A hearty crew of young American hockey players won an unfathomable victory against the long-dominant Soviet hockey team at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, giving the United States a much-needed morale boost during the Cold War. The critically acclaimed 2004 movie Miracle captured that magic moment as the Americans stunned the world and held their 4-3 lead over the … [Read more...] about The 1980 Winter Olympics: “Miracle on Ice”

USA Women’s Hockey Team Wins Gold with a Rooney at the Goal

By Adam Farley, Deputy Editor
April / May 2018

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The USA Women’s National Hockey Team came away with their first gold medal since the sport was introduced to the games in 1998, beating Canada in the final round on February 22 in a 3-2 nail-biting shootout. Chief among those responsible for the team’s historic win is none other than Irish American Maddie Rooney (right), Team USA’s 20-year-old goalie. She made 29 saves through … [Read more...] about USA Women’s Hockey Team Wins Gold with a Rooney at the Goal

Setanta’s Successor:
The Rise of Lee Chin

By Dave Lewis, Editorial Assistant
February / March 2018

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How the son of an Malaysian immigrant rose to stardom within Ireland’s top sports divisions. ℘℘℘ Lee Chin could quite possibly be the modern successor to Setanta (the given name of the Irish mythological figure Cú Chulainn). His athletic prowess in hurling, soccer, and Gaelic football has been made legend in Ireland and, in February, will become Ireland’s newest mythological … [Read more...] about Setanta’s Successor:
The Rise of Lee Chin

Go Canada!

By John Kernaghan, Contributor
June / July 2002

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Canada benefited from Irish leadership and grit in ending a 50-year gold-medal drought in hockey, which was an ongoing embarrassment in the birthplace of the game. Pat Quinn took a collection of star players and despite some early wobbles, guided them past the United States in the gold-medal game. "The key was players like Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman accepting … [Read more...] about Go Canada!

The Giants’ Cause

By John Kernaghan, Contributor
June / July 2001

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Rioting fans, hooliganism and remote and sometimes ugly multi-millionaires have given sports a bad name in recent times. But every now and then, the world of fun and games provides an uplifting story, like the one unfolding in Belfast, where a team of American and Canadian hockey players is being heralded for improving relations between Protestants and Catholics. At … [Read more...] about The Giants’ Cause