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Photo by: Craig Lassig
Five Minutes with Taylor Heise
1/29/2020 8:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Sophomore forward Taylor Heise chatted with the Voice of Gopher Women's Hockey Dan Hamann.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Sophomore forward Taylor Heise chatted with the Voice of Gopher Women's Hockey Dan Hamann last weekend during the Border Battle series. Listen as Heise reflects on Hockey Day Minnesota, her USA Hockey experience, and her love of baking.
Dan Hamann: Welcome back to Gopher Women's Hockey. I'm currently joined by sophomore Taylor Heise, from Lake City, Minn. She is currently third in scoring on the team this season, often paired up with Grace Zumwinkle and Sarah Potomak. First of all, I want to hear your experience at Hockey Day in Minnesota. It was an unusual circumstance, but the team was able to get the big win against Ohio State in adverse conditions. What was it like for the players?
Taylor Heise: It was insane! I'm from Minnesota, so playing in the Hockey Day Minnesota celebration was a dream. I never got to do it in high school, but it was a dream come true. It was a little cold when we got out there, and we knew that coming in from Friday's game where we didn't do our best, we had to be our best on Saturday. There was no better opportunity than to be on live television and play the game outside the way people did when they were growing up; I know I did. The adverse conditions were hard, but to put it into perspective, both teams were going through it, so both of us had to battle through it. We came out on top, which was amazing, but I think it was so much fun to be out there with the girls and to see people who had never been in the situation before. It was worth it in the end.
DH: It must have taken you back to your youth when you started playing hockey outdoors, right?
TH: I did. When I was younger, I was on a co-ed hockey team that would go out every Sunday and play Wabasha, which was a nearby county. Everyone would play every position, including goalie, and there would be snacks, but most importantly there was a tiny warming hut where you could go if it got too cold. I still go back there sometimes on my days off and skate with some of my mom's friend's kids, who are younger. They love it. It's a great place to grow up.
DH: You started playing hockey at an older age. What was that like?
TH: I grew up in a very small, basketball-orientated town. I got a letter in my backpack as a first grader that invited us to try out hockey for free. I brought it to my mom, who thought I was kidding, but I thought it would be really fun. No one watched hockey in my house growing up, so I don't know why I was drawn to it, but to this day, I'm glad I stuck with it. I would go from basketball practice to hockey most days. The program is still going; one of my friend's parents started it. It's not as big, but it was such a fun time.
DH: You're a three-time U18 champion with USA Hockey. What was that experience like?
TH: I was 15, and I had played varsity hockey for two years before I was selected, but nothing could compare to being selected for the U.S. Under-18 National Team. Coming into training camp my first year, my eyes were so open and I was unsure about how I would do, but I knew I needed to push myself and make something of myself. When I got to Worlds, I wanted to make sure I absorbed as much information as I could and take it all in. I had such great role models, like Patti Marshall and Alex Woken, and I went through the program with Madeline Wethington and Gracie Ostertag. You create strong bonds through that program. All three years, every experience was different and each year was so special. Leading the girls to a championship meant so much to me.
DH: Off-ice, something that isn't very well-known about you is that you're into baking. How much baking do you get up to these days? What are your specialties?
TH: As a freshman, I didn't get to do it as much due to a lack of kitchen, but now in our house, I do it a lot. If I go home, I'll bake and bring something back. When I was at home last weekend, I made these grasshopper brownies to bring back for our weekly viewing of The Bachelor. They're brownies with a mint layer and fudge, and they're not only my favorite, but my mom's favorite. Somehow she took them out of my bag and called me after I had already left saying that she had the brownies. I like the simple stuff, like chocolate chip cookies, muffins, anything breakfast food. The team loves pumpkin stuff. I always like to keep the dessert table, or the counter in our house, full so that if anyone needs sweets, they have them available. When I was growing up, my brothers would always do the hard stuff and cook, so I wanted to have a dessert to go along with it. It's a fun time for me to chill out and bake.
###
Dan Hamann: Welcome back to Gopher Women's Hockey. I'm currently joined by sophomore Taylor Heise, from Lake City, Minn. She is currently third in scoring on the team this season, often paired up with Grace Zumwinkle and Sarah Potomak. First of all, I want to hear your experience at Hockey Day in Minnesota. It was an unusual circumstance, but the team was able to get the big win against Ohio State in adverse conditions. What was it like for the players?
Taylor Heise: It was insane! I'm from Minnesota, so playing in the Hockey Day Minnesota celebration was a dream. I never got to do it in high school, but it was a dream come true. It was a little cold when we got out there, and we knew that coming in from Friday's game where we didn't do our best, we had to be our best on Saturday. There was no better opportunity than to be on live television and play the game outside the way people did when they were growing up; I know I did. The adverse conditions were hard, but to put it into perspective, both teams were going through it, so both of us had to battle through it. We came out on top, which was amazing, but I think it was so much fun to be out there with the girls and to see people who had never been in the situation before. It was worth it in the end.
DH: It must have taken you back to your youth when you started playing hockey outdoors, right?
TH: I did. When I was younger, I was on a co-ed hockey team that would go out every Sunday and play Wabasha, which was a nearby county. Everyone would play every position, including goalie, and there would be snacks, but most importantly there was a tiny warming hut where you could go if it got too cold. I still go back there sometimes on my days off and skate with some of my mom's friend's kids, who are younger. They love it. It's a great place to grow up.
DH: You started playing hockey at an older age. What was that like?
TH: I grew up in a very small, basketball-orientated town. I got a letter in my backpack as a first grader that invited us to try out hockey for free. I brought it to my mom, who thought I was kidding, but I thought it would be really fun. No one watched hockey in my house growing up, so I don't know why I was drawn to it, but to this day, I'm glad I stuck with it. I would go from basketball practice to hockey most days. The program is still going; one of my friend's parents started it. It's not as big, but it was such a fun time.
DH: You're a three-time U18 champion with USA Hockey. What was that experience like?
TH: I was 15, and I had played varsity hockey for two years before I was selected, but nothing could compare to being selected for the U.S. Under-18 National Team. Coming into training camp my first year, my eyes were so open and I was unsure about how I would do, but I knew I needed to push myself and make something of myself. When I got to Worlds, I wanted to make sure I absorbed as much information as I could and take it all in. I had such great role models, like Patti Marshall and Alex Woken, and I went through the program with Madeline Wethington and Gracie Ostertag. You create strong bonds through that program. All three years, every experience was different and each year was so special. Leading the girls to a championship meant so much to me.
DH: Off-ice, something that isn't very well-known about you is that you're into baking. How much baking do you get up to these days? What are your specialties?
TH: As a freshman, I didn't get to do it as much due to a lack of kitchen, but now in our house, I do it a lot. If I go home, I'll bake and bring something back. When I was at home last weekend, I made these grasshopper brownies to bring back for our weekly viewing of The Bachelor. They're brownies with a mint layer and fudge, and they're not only my favorite, but my mom's favorite. Somehow she took them out of my bag and called me after I had already left saying that she had the brownies. I like the simple stuff, like chocolate chip cookies, muffins, anything breakfast food. The team loves pumpkin stuff. I always like to keep the dessert table, or the counter in our house, full so that if anyone needs sweets, they have them available. When I was growing up, my brothers would always do the hard stuff and cook, so I wanted to have a dessert to go along with it. It's a fun time for me to chill out and bake.
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