STARKVILLE — Mississippi State soccer saw five of its star players named to the prestigious Southeastern Conference Preseason Watch List on Wednesday, reeling in another accolade on the eve of the 2024 campaign kickoff against Baylor. As a team, MSU begins the season ranked as a Top-20 team in two separate preseason polls, and the players are now getting in on the hype as well.
Goalkeeper Maddy Anderson, defender Rylie Combs, midfielders Macey Hodge and Hannah Johnson and forward Aitana Martinez-Montoya were all named alongside some of the best in the conference.
For Hodge, this is her second time on the list and the second preseason accolade of 2024 after being ranked 45th in TopDrawerSoccer’s Top-100 Players list this week. She returns after an All-SEC First Team season a year ago, appearing in 22 matches at the heart of midfield as the Bulldogs reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Anderson and Combs both make the list after strong seasons leading one of the toughest defenses in the SEC. Together they kept 11 clean sheets in 23 starts, allowing just 0.69 goals per game, and Anderson was named to the All-SEC Second Team.
Up front, Johnson and Martinez-Montoya return after strong junior seasons, scoring three and six goals, respectively, as the Bulldogs posted one of their best seasons in program history. Martinez-Montoya was particularly clutch, coming up with the winning goal on four different occasions.
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