Wisconsin women's hockey picks up commitment from Minnesota legacies
Mark Johnson picks up a commitment from the daughter of Minnesota Gophers hockey royalty
Look away, Gophers fans. The Wisconsin women’s hockey program just got a massive win on the recruiting trail. The latest Wisconsin Badgers commit is the daughter of Minnesota Gophers hockey royalty. One of her parents spent parts of four seasons in the NHL, but her mother might have an even more impressive resume.
When Wisconsin raised its 2024-25 national championship banner to the rafters and completed a sweep of the Maine Black Bears this weekend, it did so in front of a sold-out crowd and a standout recruiting audience. UW hosted two players in the 2027 class for official visits this past weekend. Chyna Taylor came to Madison having already committed to the University of Wisconsin.
A second visitor, Taylor’s roommate at the U18 Selects Series, however, entered uncommitted, but apparently left LaBahn Arena impressed enough with the Badgers to announce her decision Monday night.
Emily Pohl commits to Wisconsin women’s hockey
Emily “Em” Pohl announced her commitment to the Wisconsin Badgers Monday evening. In an Instagram post, the forward quoted the Book of Psalms, followed by a simple, “Go Badgers!!”
Pohl played for Team USA in the 2025 Under-18 series against Team Canada in August. The lefty skated alongside Badgers commits Maddy Kimbrel and Chyna Taylor. Pohl and Taylor were roommates in Lake Placid during the series, Pohl’s parents told Badger Breakaway.
During that series, Pohl, standing at 5-foot-7, tallied a pair of assists in three games. She helped the US to a 2-1 victory in the best-of-three series. It was the first time Team USA won the U18 series over Canada since 2017. With current Badgers Maggie Scannell, Cassie Hall, Laney Potter, Vivian Jungels, and Kelly Gorbatenko helping the US to win the Collegiate Select Series, it marked the first time the US won the Collegiate Select and U18 Select Series in the same year.
Pohl is a junior at Hill-Murray School, where she helped the Pioneers win the Minneota 2025 State Class AA Girls Hockey Tournament. She had a hat trick and an assist in the tournament quarterfinals and another four-point showing in the semifinals. At Hill-Murray, Pohl is coached by her parents, who each have formidable hockey legacies of their own.
Daughter of Minnesota Gophers hockey legacies to join Wisconsin Badgers
John Pohl and Krissy Wendell (Pohl) are Minnesota hockey royalty. John won the 1998 Minnesota “Mr. Hockey” award, following his senior year at Red Wing High School. He won the 2002 NCAA national championship with the Minnesota Gophers, earning All-WCHA First Team and NCAA All-Tournament Team honors along the way, before spending parts of four seasons in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Despite that impeccable resume, John might be the lesser-accomplished half of the hockey couple.
Krissy won Minnesota Ms. Hockey in 2000 before joining the Minnesota Gophers women’s hockey team. With the University of Minnesota, Krissy captained her alma mater to back-to-back national championships. In 2005, she became the first Gopher to win the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the highest individual honor in women’s college hockey. Krissy won a bronze medal while serving as captain for Team USA at the 2006 Olympic Games. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
Needless to say, the Wisconsin Badgers picking up a commitment from Emily Pohl is quite the recruiting win over her parents’ alma mater and UW’s border rival. The Badgers were the third and final official visit Emily took in the first three weeks of the college hockey season. In the two weeks leading up to her weekend in Madison, Emily heard recruiting pitches during official visits with the Minnesota Gophers and Penn State Nittany Lions.
Pohl is the fourth known commitment in Wisconsin’s 2027 recruiting class, along with defender Taylor, forward Mary Derrenbacher, and goaltender Sophie Jovanovic.
