Kylie Maxwell Named to 2026 MAC Hermann Watch List
By Pretty Girls Media Sports Staff
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest women's soccer forward Kylie Maxwell is beginning her sophomore season with another major accolade after being named to the 2026 NCAA Division I Mac Hermann Forwards to Watch List, United Soccer Coaches and IWSOC announced Monday.
Maxwell was one of 11 players from the Atlantic Coast Conference selected to the positional watch list, adding another national honor to a growing résumé after a standout freshman campaign.
The recognition comes less than a year after Maxwell became just the second Wake Forest player to win ACC Freshman of the Year.
Maxwell Made Immediate Impact at Wake Forest
Maxwell established herself as one of Wake Forest's leading offensive players during her freshman season in 2025.
The Langhorne, Pennsylvania, native started 19 of the Demon Deacons' 20 matches and led the team with the most minutes played among freshmen.
She finished the season with six goals and 17 points, helping drive Wake Forest's attack throughout the campaign.
Maxwell opened her collegiate career with an impressive stretch, recording her first career goal and first career assist in back-to-back games to begin the season.
Her production and consistency earned her recognition across the ACC and nationally.
A Freshman Season Filled With Honors
Maxwell's 2025 campaign resulted in multiple postseason honors.
Her résumé included:
2025 ACC Freshman of the Year
2025 All-ACC Third Team
2025 ACC All-Freshman Team
2025 All-Atlantic Region
2025 TopDrawerSoccer Freshmen Best XI First Team
The collection of honors established Maxwell as one of the nation's emerging young women's soccer players and positioned her for an even larger role entering the 2026 season.
International Experience Adds to Maxwell's Development
Maxwell also spent part of her offseason gaining international experience with the U.S. Women's Youth National Teams, participating with the U-19 and U-20 USYNT programs.
That experience gives Maxwell another opportunity to develop against high-level competition as she prepares for her sophomore season at Wake Forest.
With her collegiate experience, international opportunities and growing list of individual honors, expectations will be high for Maxwell as the Demon Deacons enter the 2026 campaign.
Path to the MAC Hermann Trophy Begins
The positional watch lists are part of the process leading toward the MAC Hermann Trophy, one of the most prestigious individual honors in NCAA Division I soccer.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is awarded annually to the Division I National Player of the Year, with the winner selected through voting by Division I college coaches following the regular season.
The women's regular season officially begins Aug. 13, with the men's season beginning Aug. 20.
The 2026 MAC Hermann Trophy recipients are scheduled to be announced Jan. 8, 2027, in St. Louis, Missouri.
For Maxwell, appearing on the Forwards to Watch List puts her among the players nationally being monitored as the new college soccer season begins.
A New Season, Higher Expectations
Maxwell enters her sophomore season with a year of ACC competition behind her and a growing national profile.
After becoming only the second Demon Deacon to earn ACC Freshman of the Year honors, she now has an opportunity to build on a freshman season that established her as one of Wake Forest's most important offensive players.
The 2026 season will determine how far that momentum can carry her.
For now, Maxwell has already earned a place on the national radar.
And with the MAC Hermann Trophy race officially beginning, the Wake Forest forward has another opportunity to show why she belongs among the country's rising stars.
