Illig, Najera Earn Player To Watch Status from United Soccer Coaches
8/12/2025 4:28:00 PM | Women's Soccer
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East Lansing, Mich. --Â Â Senior defender Maggie Illig and junior midfielder Bella Najera have been named to the United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch list, which the organization has announced over the last week in advance of the 2025 season beginning on Thursday. Â
United Soccer Coaches 2025 Defenders to Watch United Soccer Coaches 2025 Midfielders to Watch
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Beginning Aug. 5, the association announced their Goalkeepers, Defenders, Midfielders, and Forwards to Watch. The lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America committees  to promote college soccer , and include the players honored as 2024 All-Americans and All-Region picks by the United Soccer Coaches who are back on collegiate rosters for the 2025 season.
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Maggie Illig
Illig and Najera are both returning starters for the Spartans and are expected to play significant roles on the squad when the season officially gets underway later this week.  Illig has started 41 of 57 career games in Green & White, including 21 a year ago. She earned USC Second Team All-North Region kudos as a junior as well as Second Team All-Big Ten honors and is considered a Player to Watch both within the conference and nationally.
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Najera was a Third Team All-Big Ten pick last season when she started all 22 games and is MSU's leading returner in both goals (8) and points (19). The St. Louis native was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a Third Team all-league selection in 2023. Najera is an academic standout who earned Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar kudos a year ago. Like Illig, she is a Big Ten Player to Watch as well as garnering the attention from USC.Â
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Michigan State officially begins the season on Thursday evening (Aug. 14) in Boulder against the Colorado Buffaloes (9 pm ET), a team which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago.  The Spartans open the season at home on Sunday (Aug. 17) against Dayton at 7 pm.
