EVANSTON, Ill. (August 18, 2026) – Andrew Millar (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin/Vermont), Aaron O’Reilly (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central), and Fritz Volmar (Peoria, Ill./Laurel Springs) of the Northwestern University men’s soccer team have been named to the Big Ten Conference’s Players to Watch List, which was announced on Tuesday by the league office.
On Watch 👀
— Northwestern Men's Soccer (@NUMensSoccer) August 18, 2026
Andrew Millar, Aaron O'Reilly, and Fritz Volmar have been named to the @B1GSoccer Players to Watch List. pic.twitter.com/169LXYI1zi
Millar joins the ‘Cats from the University of Vermont, where he was a member of the Catamounts team that stormed to a national championship in 2024. The Cambridge, Mass. native appeared in 63 games during his time in the Green Mountain State, earning First Team All-America East Conference accolades last season after closing the year with three goals and five assists.
O’Reilly burst on the scene as a first-year for head coach Russell Payne’s team in 2025, netting a team-high five goals in addition to a pair of assists. Named to the Big Ten Conference’s All-Freshman Team, the 6-foot-0 forward found the back of the net four times against conference foes, highlighted by strikes in wins over Rutgers, No. 17 Indiana, and Ohio State.
After battling injury during the 2024 campaign, Volmar was a stalwart along the Wildcat backline last season, playing in all 1,530 minutes of game action. The Peoria, Ill. product contributed to five shutouts by the Wildcat defensive unit.
The Big Ten Conference also released its Preseason Coaches’ Poll on Tuesday. Reigning national champion Washington sits atop the poll, with Maryland and Indiana rounding out the top three.
Northwestern opens the 2026 regular season on Thursday, August 20 with a 4 p.m. CT tilt against New Haven at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.