Phil Verchota

Phillip John Verchota ( born December 28, 1956 in Duluth, Minnesota ) is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He won with the Minnesota Golden Gophers twice the NCAA championship and was at the 1980 Winter Olympics to the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the so-called " Miracle on Ice".

Career

Verchota attended Duluth East High School, where he played successful football, and hockey. In both sports, he was appointed team in the High School All-State First. After graduating, he went to the University of Minnesota, decided there against the football and played exclusively for the Hockey team. In the period 1976-1979 he was employed in 161 games for the Golden Gophers, scoring 59 goals and had 61 assists. Under coach Herb Brooks, he won in 1976 and 1979, the national college championship of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. At the World Championships 1979 in Moscow, he was the first time for Team USA, which finished in seventh place. A year later he was at the Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid to the trained by Herb Brooks team that defeated the Soviet Union in the final round and then Olympic champion. Verchota scored in the seven games three goals and two assists. So he put in the last game of the final group with a 2-2 against Finland the foundation for the necessary point gain.

After the Olympic victory, he suggested an offer of the Minnesota North Stars, who had drafted him in 1976, and played one season with Jokerit Helsinki in Finland. He also played for the U.S. team at the 1981 World Championship in Gothenburg, before he took a break from hockey and focused on his studies one year. Then he returned to the U.S. national team and helped the previously relegated from the A group United States in B- World Cup 1983 title and the associated return to the A group. In 1984, he led the U.S. players at the Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo as team captain, but where they finished only seventh.

Then finished his hockey career Verchota and worked as a bank clerk. He is a member of the Olympic team in 1980, which was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.