American women's hockey gold medalist Taylor Heise opens up on what it means to play for Team USA

Team USA women's hockey star Taylor Heise talked to Fox News Digital about the gold medal win and representing the Stars and Stripes.

With the weight of the entire nation on her shoulders in the middle of overtime in the Winter Olympics gold medal matchup against Canada, American Taylor Heise passed the puck up to Megan Keller and then made a beeline for the bench.

Heise said she didn’t see what happened next.

"I passed the puck up and I skated as fast as I could to the bench and by the time she’s already scored, I was almost there and then everyone started to hop and that’s when I knew she had scored. So, I just turned right back around," Heise recalled in an interview with Fox News Digital on Saturday. "After I’ve watched it about 10 times, like, it’s unbelievable she did that and just such a ballsy play to make in an overtime but she’s someone that’s so talented and can absolutely do that with grace every time."

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Taylor Heise #27 of Team United States Laila Edwards #10 of Team United States celebrate the victory after the Women`s Ice Hockey Gold Medal Game between USA and Canada (2-1 OT) on day thirteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy.  (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)

It was joy and triumph from there.

The American team ran over to Keller in celebration as Team USA took home its first gold medal in women’s ice hockey since 2018 and only third overall in the team’s history at the Olympics.

"It definitely was relief," Heise said of the moment she was able to throw her gloves up in the air and hit the ice in celebration. "I think when I was able to throw my gloves in and do all that and