Coming to Wisconsin meant dealing with higher expectations for Wisconsin women’s hockey redshirt sophomore Mikayla Johnson.

Following in her family’s footsteps in Madison, Mikayla has to overcome some of the difficulty of following the “Johnson” legacy throughout Badger history but it was always a goal of hers to wear the cardinal and white of a Wisconsin women’s hockey sweater.

“It’s been my dream,” Mikayla Johnson said. “It’s hard not to. It’s my hometown. The campus is awesome. And the program here is unbelievable, so I was pretty jacked.”

Bob Johnson, Mikayla’s grandfather, coached the men’s hockey team for 16 years and is a member of the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame.

Mikayla’s father, Mark Johnson, was a Badgers men’s hockey player from 1976-79 before becoming a national sensation as a member of the 1980 United States Olympic team when he scored the tying goal against the Soviet Union as part of the “Miracle on Ice.”

Mark Johnson also played in the NHL for 10 seasons with five different teams.

Patrick Johnson, her brother, played for the Badgers from 2007-11, before being picked by Montreal in the 2008 NHL draft. He has had to deal with many of the same issues her sister now faces.

“They need to understand all of the parameters of being on the team being a part of Wisconsin and maybe dealing with some of the things that other student-athletes don’t have to deal with,” Mark Johnson, now the Wisconsin women’s hockey team head coach, said. “In her case, the dad is the coach, and my son’s case, trying to follow in my footsteps and my dad’s footsteps and being a ‘Johnson’ and understanding all that goes into that. It’s probably harder on her, and certainly harder on Patrick because of those situations they were in.”

Mark Johnson had to deal with a similar situation in his time as a member of the Badger men’s hockey team. He played in Madison with his father coaching him during that time, so he understands the complexity of coaching a child.

His responsibilities as a coach are to put the team first, a line that Mark Johnson believes he has dealt with well.

“I had played for my dad here and gone through that,” the elder Johnson said. “So the shoe is on the other foot, so now I’m the coach. So you take each day at a time and each situation at a time and handle it the best, knowing you have the best interest of the team.”

He understands that having your father around practice every day could be difficult for a college student to get used to.

But Mark Johnson has been impressed with how his daughter has handled the situation, especially now that he gets to see her on a daily basis and can see how she interacts and fits in with her teammates.

“I think the resilience of playing for your dad at the university and dealing with some of the things a coach’s daughter or a coach’s son has to deal with and conduct themselves on a daily basis,” Mark Johnson said. “Some days are hard, but I’ve been impressed with the way she has handled it. I think she has matured and grown and learned a lot about herself in that situation.”

The recruiting started normally, with assistant coach Jackie Friesen starting the conversation with Mikayla about playing for the cardinal and white. In fact, her in-house recruiting visit was in her house. She was sitting at home when Mark Johhson walked in and asked her to play for Wisconsin.

She knew what she was getting into when she took the offer from her father to play at Wisconsin, but she also could not turn down the opportunity to succeed where her family has made such a name.

But it was not exactly what Mikayla expected when she decided to play in Madison.

After red-shirting her freshman season, she played in 27 games last season for Wisconsin, tallying just a goal and an assist. This year Mikayla has seen limited game action, as well, playing in more than half of the 32 total games thus far. But she’s doubled her goal scoring output this season with a goal on the road at Lindenwood Sept. 27 and adding another on the road at New Hampshire on Nov. 29.

Dealing with the family name can be difficult at times for her, but she also sees a different side to her father now.

“It’s also been a lot more fun than I expected,” Mikayla said. “He’s goofy and fun to be with. I didn’t get to see him every day until I came to play here.”

For some people, dealing with a parent daily, especially in front of friends, could prove to be difficult, but Mikayla has taken everything in stride. Playing for the Badgers has strengthened their relationship in ways she could not previously imagine, she said.

“Some people would think it could make it awkward between us, but I think we’ve gotten a lot closer between us actually,” Mikayla said. “It’s goofy and weird, and serious at other times. It’s fun because I get to see him all the time.”