Team USA's Taylor Heise, 27, high-fives a CAN/AM women's hockey player after the U.S. women's national hockey team's scrimmage in Lake Placid on Thursday. (Corporate photo — Parker O’Brien)
LAKE PLACID — As U.S. women's hockey player Taylor Heise steps off the ice during national team practice here Thursday, a group of CAN/AM women's hockey players line up in the tunnel to meet the players. I was waiting for a high five.
All the young players knew what kind of player the 24-year-old from Lake City, Minn., was. Heise rose to prominence in women's hockey, becoming a star player when she was selected No. 1 overall in the first Professional Women's Hockey League draft.
While playing for his hometown team, PWHL Minnesota, Heise became one of the most divisive players in the newly formed league due to his stick handling and scoring ability. She currently ranks in the top 20 in her league in scoring, even though she has missed five of the team's 19 games with injury.
According to Canadian ice hockey magazine The Hockey News, her PWHL Minnesota team led all teams in average attendance this season, drawing an average of more than 7,000 people per game. For Haise, the idea that she would have fans or an audience was something she never imagined.
“I always say, that little Taylor would have freaked out right now.” Haise said. “When I look back at where I am now and where I want to be in the future and what I still want to achieve, that wouldn't have been possible (when I was younger). As (the sport) grows… It's really great to see and I try to hold myself accountable. I try to be graceful where I am. It's an opportunity that doesn't come along very often, so I'm trying to take advantage of it. I want to go.”
Team USA's Taylor Heise skates during the U.S. women's national hockey team scrimmage on Thursday in Lake Placid. (Corporate photo — Parker O’Brien)
Last weekend, Heise was among 39 U.S. hockey players who gathered in Lake Placid to compete for a spot on the U.S. Women's National Team, which will compete in the IIHF Women's World Championship in Utica from April 3-14. He was one of the. It will be announced today.
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growing up
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Although Heise grew up in a basketball family and both of his brothers played in college, Heise decided to play hockey on a coed team in Minnesota around the age of eight. Heise's parents, both of whom were basketball players, were fully supportive of her path to hockey, she said.
“(They) made sure I had every opportunity I could get.” Haise said. “If I wanted, they would drive me an hour and a half every day to practice in the city. I talk very often about the fact that I couldn't have taken you if I didn't want to, and that's exactly how I teach my children as well.”
Heise quickly excelled, and soon his on-ice dominance carried over to the collegiate level. She scored nearly one point per game in her first three seasons when she played at the University of Minnesota.
Following her junior season, Heise was selected to participate in the 2021 U.S. Women's National Team Evaluation Camp, which will determine the 2022 Winter Olympic Team. However, she said Heise was removed from the team and she decided to return to Minnesota. Even in the face of her adversity, she continued to work on her craft and improved her game.
“I am a strong believer in faith.” she said. “When I was a kid, I just worked hard and hoped that my hard work would come true. If it didn't, I had to work for it.”
Heise finished her final two collegiate seasons with 133 points (59 goals, 74 assists) in 78 games, and in 2022, she won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the top player in U.S. women's collegiate ice hockey. did. She was subsequently selected to the U.S. national team for both the 2022 and 2023 World Championships.
After being selected No. 1 overall in the first PWHL Draft in September, Heise said he blacked out with excitement.
“I didn’t know where I was going or which player I was going to be selected for.” she said. “I just knew that wherever I was, I was going to be very happy, living my best life and dreams. My dad was crying in the stands, and he doesn't cry, so he was very happy. It was an interesting situation.”
For Haise, being chosen first overall means that all his hard work has paid off. However, rather than viewing this selection as an accomplishment for her, she states that it is an honor and a privilege, especially since it is her hometown team.
“I have so many fans and so many people who care about me personally, not only on the ice but off the ice.” she said. “When I talk to them after games, they really ask me how I am as a person. That means a lot to me.”
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team usa
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Haise has appeared on the team for two years in a row, having been named tournament MVP in 2022 after leading the tournament in goals and assists, and is very likely to make the team, but she's just I just want to take a step forward. time.
“It would be great to be a part of the team as I have been for the past two years. It's an honor and a privilege to be with some of the best players in the country.” she said. “If I get to be a part of it, it's going to be really, really fun and it's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and hopefully my parents can be in it too – if I'm on the team It would be an honor if I could be included in the program. This is a great group and I can see so many people are so excited to be part of the opportunity right now. Let's see what happens. ”
Competing with Heise for a spot on the roster are some of her heroes, including Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield. Although she had played with them on her national team a few years earlier, or in Coyne Schofield's case, both playing in the Minnesota PWHL, Heise said she was impressed by the impact they had on women's hockey. I am always reminded of the impact I had.
“(They) have done a lot for this sport.” she said. “It's an honor to play with them and against them every day. They push me, they push any team. , did all the work that I didn't have to do. It was a privilege to be around them. It's crazy to see how much work they do. It breaks my heart. But they do it with pride and with a smile on their faces.”
But Heise's turn to become the face of U.S. hockey may soon come.
