Notables:
• First Team All-Big Ten (2020-21)
• Senior CLASS Award Semifinalist (2020-21)
• United Soccer Coaches All-North Second Team (2020-21)
• United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Second Team (2019)
• United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Regions First Team (2019)
• First Team All-North Region (2019)
• All-Big Ten First Team (2019)
2021: Started in all 22 contests for UW and played 2,065 total minutes. Recorded one assist against UC Irvine in the second round of the NCAA tournament. She posted 15 shots and five shots on goal. Cella was named to the Big Ten’s All-Academic Team in fall 2021.
2021 spring: Started all 14 games for Wisconsin and is one of two players to compete in all 1320 minutes for the Badgers. Led the team in assists and finished eighth in the conference with four. Attempted six shots with two on goal. Helped UW advance to its first Big Ten championship game since 2014.
2019: Started all 22 games for the Badgers as a key midfielder for a total of 1900 minutes. Logged seven shots and two SOG, where she had a season high of three shots against Purdue. Received two first team honors for her successful season on the field, including being named to All-Big Ten and All-North Region First Teams.
2018: Started 22 of 22 games for UW as a key midfielder...scored two goals one against Portland (9/2) and one against Memphis in a 4-0 victory on the road in the first round of NCAA's...had three assists for a total of seven points...goal against Portland was a game-winner, the first of her career...got off 22 shots with 11 shots on goal.
2017: Played in all 22 games, starting two (Creighton and Northern Illinois). Ended the season with one goal and four assists for six total points. Had 12 shots with seven on goal and logged a game winning goal versus Minnesota (10/29). It was also her first career goal. Had a career high three shots at Maryland (9/29).
Prep: Played for Evanston Township High school where she was named the 2015 Girls Soccer Most Valuable Player … two-time team captain … as a junior, named a Buffalo Wild Wings athlete of the month and recognized on her all-area first team… named MVP of the 13th annual PepsiCo Showdown … earned Illinois High School Association All-Conference and All-Sectional honors all three years and was named All-State as a junior … as a sophomore, she was named to the Pioneer Press All-Area Girl Soccer second team after notching 12 goals and eight assists … team won the Evanston Sports Performance of the Year award for best sport moment 2015 … named all-conference and all-sectional as a freshman, scoring 15 goals en route to helping her team win the conference and the PepsiCo Showdown Consolation Championship … selected as a ’98 Girls ODP Illinois State team player, regional II pool player and region II player for Thanksgiving interregional in Boca Raton, Florida … a TopDrawerSoccer.com (TDS) regionally ranked player from 2013-16, tabbed in the TDS 2017 Girls IMG Academy 150 player pool and was also named to the 2016 TDS HS Girls: TeamSnap Spring State Stars … earned high honor roll all four years and was a member of the freshman and sophomore Honors Society … recipient of Excellence in Achievement Award in Biology and the Course Achievement Awards in math (2013-14, 2014-15) and in history (2014-15).
Wilkins on Cella: "Maia Cella is an attacking center midfielder from Evanston (FC United/Evanston Township High school). Maia may be one of the most athletically gifted players we have had here at Wisconsin. She has the speed and agility to be a special player in the midfield and she works magic with the ball at her feet. There are some big shoes to fill in the midfield with the departure of three-time All-American Rose Lavelle, but Maia certainly has the potential to fill them."
