Girls State Hockey: Hill-Murray withstands late Andover push for 5-3 AA Quarterfinal win

By KSTP

Hill-Murray players celebrate a goal against Andover in the Class AA Girls Hockey State Quarterfinals (KSTP/Joe Lesar)

Emily Pohl completed a hat trick with a late empty-net goal as No. 3 seed Hill-Murray held off No. 6 Andover’s third-period comeback in a 5-3 win in their Girls Hockey State Tournament Class AA quarterfinal.

Maya Engler and Hannah Christenseon brought the Huskies within 4-3 with goals in the final 10 minutes before Pohl converted for the third time to seal the Hill-Murray win with 1:12 to go.

Anna Pohl and Emily Pohl scored just over a minute apart late in the first period to put the Pioneers up 3-0 after Elliana Englehardt opened the scoring. Julia Gerdes got Andover on the board with 24 seconds remaining.

A fun note, all five Hill-Murray goals were scored by daughters of former Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award winners – 2000 winner Krissy Wendell (Emily and Anna Pohl) and 1999 winner Ronda Curtin (Elliana Englehardt).

For a game that featured four goals in both the first and third periods, the second was unusually quiet. It was still 3-1 when Emily Pohl rebuilt the Pioneers’ lead to three 3:03 into the final period.

The Pioneers compiled 30 shots in the game to Andover’s 26.

Up next: Hill-Murray (23-6) will face No. 7 seed Rosemount in a semifinal game at 6 p.m. Friday. Andover (19-9-1) heads to TRIA Rink for a consolation game against Centennial/Spring Lake Park at 1 p.m.

RELATED: Watch the 2025 Girls State Hockey Tournament

Material in this report was provided by the Minnesota State High School League