MINNEAPOLIS – When the Hockey Commissioners Association handed out their awards honoring exemplary play during the month of February, they designated a pair of Minnesota Gophers on the opposite ends of their college adventures.
Gophers men’s hockey forward Logan Cooley – a freshman – and Gopher women’s hockey forward Taylor Heise – a fifth-year player – were honored by the national college hockey association.
Cooley was named February’s top rookie on the men’s side, while Heise was named the co-player of the month on the women’s side.
Cooley led the top-ranked Gophers to a 5-1-0 record in the month and averaged two points per game. Recording a point in all six games, he gave the Golden Gophers three goals and nine assists for 12 total points and tallied three multi-point performances. He closed February as the nation's assist leader with 32.
Heise tallied nine goals and 15 points in eight February games. She led Minnesota in both goals and points, lighting the lamp in six of those February outings, with three multi-goal games.
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The Gopher captain capped off the month with a four-goal weekend in the first round of the WCHA Tournament. Heise became the first Gopher to record back-to-back 60 point seasons since Hannah Brandt and Dani Cameranesi did so a decade ago.
On Feb. 25, Heise skated in her 169th career game – setting a new record for the most games-played in program history. It is the second time this season she has been named national player of the month.
Cooley became the first and only player in the Big Ten this year with a five-point effort, as he recorded a goal and four assists during the second period at Penn State Feb. 17. Cooley went on to score the game-winning goal Feb. 25 against Ohio State and is currently riding a season-long, 11-game point streak with 21 points in that stretch.
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