MILWAUKEE – Brailey Baxter of Milwaukee, Wis., Taylor Collins of Muskego, Wis., Avery Fieber of Plymouth, Wis., Olive Hathaway of Menomonee Falls, Wis., Jami Kunz of Cedarburg, Wis., Meadow Mahlmeister of Billings, Mont., Avery Roethe of Wauwatosa, Wis., Josephine Thomas of Palatine, Ill., and Audrey Willoughby of Hartford, Wis., have all signed and announced their commitment to play soccer for the Panthers next season.

The class was officially announced by Milwaukee head coach Kevin Boyd today.
 
"Our 2027 class is an excellent one," Boyd said. "This class is talented and deep. We have six players joining us in Fall of 2027 and three more joining us later in January of 2028. Our main area of concern was the midfield, and we met that need in a big way. This class of nine follows our 2026 class of 10 players that have proved already to be as good as we were hoping they would be. This group is another heavily-recruited class from the state of Wisconsin which is great for our program."
 
Baxter comes to Milwaukee from Division Savior Holy Angels, where she helped lead the team to the 2026 WIAA Division 1 state championship. A 2026 Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association First-Team All-State selection, Baxter also enjoyed a successful club career with Elmbrook United.
 
"Brailey has what would be a dominant header already at the NCAA Division I level even though she is still in high school," Boyd said. "She is competitive, utterly dominant in the air, and is a sound soccer player. She is a six who will vie for time immediately." 

Collins plays for Muskego High School and has helped lead the team to a pair of WIAA Division 1 State Championships (2025/2024) as well as a state runner-up appearance (2026: a game in which she scored her team's goal in the tight loss) in her career. Named to the 2026 Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association All-State Team, Collins has also been a Classic 8 All-Conference honoree. On the club side, she plays for SC Wave and has earned Girls Academy Midwest Talent ID Event recognition and made it to the 2025 GA Finals with SC Wave.
 
"Taylor is another competitive high-level midfielder who is very versatile in what she offers," Boyd said. "She is very good on the ball, has a big engine to cover ground, and is a leader. She can play any of the three midfield spots as well as wide back if needed."
 
Fieber has helped Plymouth High School to three consecutive Glacier Trails Conference regular-season titles in her career, picking up First-Team All-Conference honors as a junior. She started her career with a WIAA Division III State championship and was named second-team all-league as a sophomore. On the club side, she plays for North Shore United and participated in the GA Regional Talent ID Event.
 
"Avery is a wide back who loves to attack," Boyd said. "She is left footed and rampages her side of the field in club games. She is an attacking weapon and fits into our style extremely well."
 
Hathaway is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School where she has been a four-year varsity starter. She has been recognized by the Greater Metro Conference each season, starting with honorable mention status as a freshman before moving up to second-team as a sophomore, followed by a GMC First-Team selection as a junior last year. Named to the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association All-State Team, Hathaway plays on the club side for North Shore United.
 
"Olive is an attacking-minded mid who can play the eight or ten position as well as the nine if needed," Boyd said. "She has creativity, flair and a big personality.  We are excited to see what she can bring in year one."
 
Kunz attends Cedarburg High School and has played varsity soccer since she was a freshman. A Second-Team North Shore All-Conference honoree as a junior, she was also named the 2025-26 Cedarburg High School Defensive MVP. A "Scholar-Athlete" Award winner, Kunz spent her club career with North Shore United.
 
"Jami is a center back that is good in the air, good on the mark, good on the ball, and competitive," Boyd said. "She will add immediate depth to our back line and will fit into our system immediately."
 
Mahlmeister joins Milwaukee after an outstanding high school career at Billings Senior High School in Montana, where she helped lead the program to the 2025 Montana Class AA State Championship. Mahlmeister scored both goals in the championship game, including the game-winner with just 2:19 remaining, as Billings Senior finished the season 14-1-1. A prolific goal scorer throughout her high school career, she also excelled in wrestling, capturing three consecutive Montana state individual championships. Mahlmeister continued her scoring success as a junior, recording a state-high 32 goals during the 2026 season while earning All-State recognition.
 
"Meadow is a find that we discovered out of Billings, Montana," Boyd said. "She is a true nine with guile, speed, and power. She has a nose for the goal and will be a threat immediately for us. She also is a high-level wrestler which adds a unique athleticism to her play."
 
Roethe is a 2026 Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association First Team All-State honoree who helped lead Divine Savior Holy Angels to the 2026 WIAA Division 1 state championship. A two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American honoree (2026 and 2025), the two-time First Team All-State selection produced nine goals and 14 assists as a junior. She came up through the club side with Elmbrook United, helping the team to the 2025 USYS National Championship.
 
"Avery is the daughter of a Panther women's soccer alum and a Panther men's soccer alum and may be our first legacy signee," Boyd said. "She is extremely talented and will come in and contest to be our starting 10 walking in the door."
 
Thomas is a senior at William Fremd High School and enjoyed a successful club career with Palatine Celtic SC. A two-year captain of her club team, the "Scholar Athlete" award winner is a National Cup Midwest champion as well as a National Cup semifinalist.
 
"She is a diamond we found from the Chicago area," Boyd said. "She is versatile in where she can play. We recruited her as a 10, but she also plays wide back for her high school and wide forward for club.  She is talented on the ball, can defend, and can strike a great ball."
 
Wiloughby is a four-year varsity performer at Arrowhead High School. A First Team All-North Shore Conference selection as a junior, she helped lead the Warhawks to a 15-2 record during the season. A team captain, she also enjoyed a successful club career with Elmbrook United, where she was a 2025 USYS National Champion, 2024 Midwest and State Champion, and Midwest West GA Talent ID Camp selection.
 
"Audrey is a versatile player who can play in the midfield or front line," Boyd said. "She is very good on the ball, competitive and athletic. She is a great addition to our attacking mindset."