A Miracle of Their Own: A Discussion with Tim Rappleye

The Book Stall is thrilled to host Tim Rappleye, North Shore hockey expert and author of A Miracle of Their Own: A Team, a Stunning Gold Medal and Newfound Dreams for American Girls ??on ?Sunday, November 6 at 3:00 pm! He'll share the story of how Team USA, with the help of Winnetka's own superstar, Sarah Tueting, shocked the reigning superpower Canada, in the first Olympic tournament for women. American girls finally had hockey role models of their own gender – all sporting glistening gold medals! More than telling the story of the most riveting rivalry in modern-day sports and the birth of a fascinating Olympic event, this book shines a spotlight on gender equity, particularly how far women have come, and, more importantly, how far they still have to go. This event is free and open to the public.

More About A Miracle of Their Own: Like the group of players who stunned the world by upsetting the mighty Soviet Union in the iconic “Miracle Game” at the 1980 Winter Olympics, few gave the Team USA women much of a chance to beat the dominant Canadians in the inaugural women’s 1998 tournament in Nagano. After all, Canada’s women had dominated their game for decades, winning every major international tournament until then. But when the Gold Medal game had ended, Team USA was standing atop of the podium after a shocking upset that ignited what many consider to be the greatest rivalry in all of sports.

Their story unfolds in dramatic, riveting detail in the pages of this book. It reveals how coach Ben Smith assembled this team, making some critical and controversial roster cuts just days before leaving for Japan. It describes how a shocking comeback in a preliminary round game gave the American women the confidence they desperately needed as they headed into a championship showdown with their neighboring archrivals. Through exhaustive interviews with dozens of the participants, it explains how that golden moment catapulted the women on both sides of that rivalry to even greater heights as they continue to shatter glass ceilings, inspiring girls and young women in myriad ways that transcend the game itself.

More About the Author: Tim Rappleye played NCAA hockey at Lake Forest College, and now officiates youth hockey in Northern Michigan. He is the author of Jack Parker’s Wiseguys, Hobey Baker, and Upon Further Review. He currently writes columns on college hockey for FloHockey TV.