Taylor Heise’s two goals power Frost past Fleet 5-2 to end three-game skid

In a way, Sunday’s game against the Boston Fleet was a must-win for the Frost.

No, there was nothing concrete on the line. No playoffs looming yet. But they still needed it — they were rolling in on a three-game losing streak that saw the Frost go 1-for-9 on the power play. The Frost had to do something to stop the skid and “find our mojo back,” in the words of coach Ken Klee.

How about five goals?

That did the trick. The Frost got their offense going Sunday, defeating the Fleet 5-2 before an energetic crowd announced at 7.838 at Xcel Energy Center.

“Today, we were clicking,” Klee said after the Frost moved back into a share of first place in the PWHL with the Montreal Victoire.

Taylor Heise was the player to lay the groundwork for the victory. In the first two months of the season, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 PWHL draft had scored two goals — and in a quick 60 minutes Sunday, she doubled that number.

Maybe it’s just something about Boston. Heise was the shooter behind the overtime game-winner the last time the Frost and Fleet met, a 2-1 victory on Jan. 8 at the X. The puck was on fire again when it came off her stick Sunday.

Heise has typically opted to pass the puck instead of shoot — a habit that has earned her eight assists, enough for second in the league. But lately — at the urging of her coach, her teammates and even her dad — that routine is changing.

“I think today I was on the receiving end of some passes, where typically I’m the one making them,” Heise said. “[I’m] making sure I’m a force to be reckoned with every time I’m out there. I want to be the best player on the ice every game.”

Her first goal came 11 minutes in, when she sniped in a pass from Michela Cava to set the tone for the rest of the matchup.

Chants of “Minn-e-sot-a” had barely died down before the Frost found the net again. Brooke McQuigge scored just over a minute later, her third of the season, putting the Frost up 2-0.

In the second period, Fleet captain Hilary Knight pulled Boston within a goal when she sniped one into the back of the net. Knight has logged at least one point in each of the Fleet’s meetings with Minnesota this year — three goals and three assists over four games.

But Heise had a quick response.

Her second goal came off another tip from Cava less than two minutes later, pushing the Frost (5-3-2-4) back to a 3-1 lead.

BOXSCORE: Frost 5, Boston 2

PWHL standings

The Fleet (3-2-2-5) made it a one-goal game again when former Minnesota player Susanna Tapani scored at 3:36 of the third period. But Frost rookie Katy Knoll followed by netting the first goal of her PWHL career just over two minutes later to thunderous applause, and a big embrace from teammates.

“To finally put one in the net was very exciting, as you could tell by my reaction,” Knoll said with a laugh, referencing her celebration with both arms in the air. “Everyone was rolling today, and it felt really good to be able to contribute.”

Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield put an exclamation point on the game by flicking in her own goal at 11:14 of the third period, her sixth goal of the season.

With the losing streak over, the Frost are feeling good as they look toward the back half of their schedule. They play the Toronto Sceptres at home on Tuesday evening, their last game before a league break for the USA-Canada Rivalry series.

When the Frost return for their final 15 games, 11 will be on the road, including their first four after the break. After Tuesday, the Frost won’t play at the X again until Feb. 23.