Nebraska soccer is gearing up for an exciting future. Head coach John Walker officially announced the signing of seven new athletes for the 2026 class on Wednesday. The talented incoming class comprises three forwards, three midfielders, and one defender on the field.

Emma Donnelly is a forward from Canada. The reason she is here is to bring top-tier international experience to Lincoln. She trained under head coach Melissa Bigg at NDC Ontario. If that wasn’t flattering enough, she also represented Canada’s U17 National Team in both the FIFA Women’s World Cup and CONCACAF Championships in 2025.

Her U17 team reached the World Cup quarterfinals before falling to Brazil. Donnelly’s club, NDC Ontario. Not just that, but also finished first in League One Ontario in 2024 and third in 2025. She plans to major in exercise science at Nebraska.

Kate Eggett, on the other hand, is a midfielder from Lincoln East High School. She stays close to home as a Nebraska native. A three-time letterwinner, she helped the Spartans to three district titles, two state quarterfinals, and one semifinal appearance.

In 2025, she earned recognition from the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star on their All-Nebraska and Super-State teams. With Gretna Elite Academy, she helped her club qualify for the ECNL National Playoffs and earned Midwest All-Conference First Team honors. Eggett plans to major in nutrition and health sciences.

Maggie Drozda is also a forward from Missouri. She will be on the field to add firepower up front. Especially after a decorated career at St. Joseph’s Academy and with SLSG ECNL Navy. Her high school team captured the 2025 Missouri Class 3 state title. Meanwhile, Drozda was named the Class 3 All-Region Offensive Player of the Year and an All-Metro First Team selection.

She is a two-time Class 3 All-State honoree and three-time GISL All-Conference pick. Drozda’s club also made deep playoff runs, including an Elite 8 finish in 2022.

Let’s Now Look at the Athletes, Building the Midfield and Defense

Paige Miller, a forward from Elkhorn, Nebraska, brings elite goal-scoring credentials to the class. The Omaha Marian star holds the program’s single-season record with 29 goals. A three-time All-Metro First Team selection and 2025 All-Metro honorary captain, Miller’s team finished state runner-up in 2025. She also reached the semifinals in 2024. Her Gretna Elite club was a Champions League qualifier in 2023 and 2024, and she made the 2025 ECNL Midwest All-Conference First Team.

Addy Jones is another standout midfielder from St. Louis. She joined the Huskers after an impressive run with St. Louis Scott Gallagher under coach Ralph Richards. Her team won the ECNL Midwest Conference twice and reached the Elite 8. That’s where Jones served as captain and earned All-Conference Second Team recognition.

Isabel Kiser, a defender from Lincoln Southwest, adds championship experience to Nebraska’s backline. A two-time state champion in 2024 and 2025, Kiser also helped her team finish runner-up in 2023. She was named to the Lincoln Journal Star Super-State Second Team and All-State Team in 2025. At the club level, Kiser competed with Gretna Elite Academy.

Rounding out the group is Emma Reda, a midfielder from Canada, who joins Donnelly as part of a talented international duo. Reda competed for Canada’s U17 World Cup team and played in the CONCACAF Championships.

She was named the 2025 League 1 Premier Division Midfielder of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Star First Team. Her NDC Ontario team captured the League 1 Premier Division title in 2024 and finished third at the Canadian Interprovincials.

Coach Walker expressed confidence in the new recruits and shared, “Our 2026 signing class is strong in talent and diverse from a positional standpoint,” Walker said. “Each of the seven players are capable of being impactful immediately for us. There is skill, speed, intelligence, toughness, and leadership in this group.”

With the addition of these seven players, Nebraska soccer looks well-prepared to make a major statement in the coming seasons.

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