Feb. 13—MILAN, Italy — Taylor Heise said it before departing Minnesota for Italy and her first Winter Olympic Games earlier this month: “At the Olympics, you’re playing against the best in the world.”
The Lake City native is proving that that label applies to her and her teammates on the United States women’s hockey team, too.
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The points haven’t come in bunches for Heise at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, but they haven’t had to. When that “best in the world” label also applies to your 20 teammates, there are plenty of players to share the scoring load.
Heise, a former Minnesota Miss Hockey at Red Wing High School and a Patty Kazmaier Award winner at the University of Minnesota, has made her impact felt in multiple ways — as analyst AJ Mleczko noted on the USA Network broadcast, “Taylor Heise has passed up some shots in favor of making passes” — in her first Games, including recording her third point of these Olympics in the United States’ 6-0 victory against host country Italy on Friday at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.
Heise recorded the primary assist on a goal by linemate Hannah Bilka with 1:23 to go in the second period. The U.S. had long taken control of the game by that point; Bilka’s goal made the score 6-0, but it took the fight out an Italian team that came in with a game plan of being physical and trying to take the U.S. off its game.
Heise took the brunt of some of that physicality when she was cross-checked into the boards from behind by Italy’s Manuela Heidenberger in the second period. That hit, on top of two hard checks by Italian players on U.S. veteran Kendall Coyne Schofield, and another on young star forward Abbey Murphy, caused some pushing and shoving between the teams, and ignited a shouting match between the two head coaches across their benches.
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Tempers cooled as the game went along, and as the U.S. asserted its dominance, outshooting Italy 51-6. The Americans improved to 5-0-0 in this tournament and have outscored those opponents by a combined score of 26-1. After allowing one goal to Czechia in the Olympics opener, the U.S. has recorded four consecutive shutouts — including a 5-0 win against rival Canada on Tuesday — and is currently on a shutout streak of more than 271 minutes.
On the sixth U.S. goal Friday, Heise took a pass from Caroline Harvey at the offensive blue line and flew up the right wing. She carried the puck deep into Italy’s zone, then sent a perfect centering pass to Bilka, who drove hard to the net and directed it in.
Heise, who is tied for the scoring lead for the PWHL’s Minnesota Frost, now has one goal and two assists in five games at the Olympics, with two games to go.
“I love the way Taylor Heise plays,” Mleczko added after Bilka’s goal. “She really is the driver of that line. I’d love to see her shoot to get rewarded, but you know what? She’s getting assists and setting up her linemates for goals.”
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Coyne scored twice for the U.S., while Megan Keller, Laila Edwards and Britta Curl scored once each. Gwyneth Philips saved all six shots she faced to earn her second shutout of these Games.
The U.S. will play an opponent to be determined in the semifinals at 9:40 a.m. CT on Monday (4:40 p.m. local time).
BOX SCORE: United States 6, Italy 0
