Later today, men’s USA Hockey will take on Finland in the semi-finals of the Vancouver Olympics hockey tournament (3:00 PM EST, MSNBC). A win for Team USA will place us into the gold medal game against the winner of Canada and Slovakia. Fans are eagerly awaiting the USA-Canada rematch in the finals, but the US must first take care of business against Finland.

The state of USA hockey is all good and positive, and it’s great news for both the Winter Olympics and the sport of hockey. After we locked up the #1 seed in the Olympic tournament with a win over favored host Canada in qualifying, sports fans all over the world have taken notice of the prolific young squad featured in American uniforms. Led by current New Jersey Devils teammate forwards Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner, Team USA is filled with energetic young players from all over the NHL. Perhaps the biggest star of the whole team, however, has been goalkeeper Ryan Miller. Miller, who plays for the Buffalo Sabres, was tremendous in wins over Canada and Norway before holding Switzerland to a 2-0 shutout in the first round of the medal tournament.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? - American sports fans have taken note of our country’s energetic young hockey squad that still stands the only undefeated country in a sport dominated by players from Canada, Russia, and much of Europe. Team USA’s emergence into the world hockey spotlight has helped the NHL gain more positive attention. If USA can finish off the tournament undefeated and bring home the gold medal, it could do wonders for American hockey, from youth involvement to NHL fan appreciation. The NBA, NFL, and MLB dominate our country’s sports headlines. College sports rake in money and massive viewers. NASCAR always does well, and golf and tennis have always attracted enough viewers. But hockey and soccer fascination has been lacking in America. USA Soccer’s emergence has America talking about soccer again and excited for World Cup 2010. The 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Team USA Hockey gold medal winners captivated the nation and was the last time we brought home the gold at the Olympics. A 2010 gold medal is everything American hockey needs, so be sure to cheer on Team USA the next 2 games at the Vancouver Winter Olympic games.