2023 Soccer Roster
Jersey Number 20
Makena Silber
- Height:
- 5-7
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Crystal Lake, Ill.
- High School:
- Prairie Ridge
Career highlights
- 2020 Third Team All-Big Ten
- 2020 United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-North Region
- 2018 Big Ten All-Freshman Team
Graduate Student 2023
- Appeared in 16 matches, making seven starts.
- Scored two goals and tallied one assist on the season.
- Her 21 career goals rank tied for eighth-most all-time in program history.
- Scored the first goal of the season in the Illini's series opener on Aug. 17 vs. Loyola, her first match in 663 days.
- Picked up her assist on Aug. 31 at Louisville.
- Scored her second goal of the season on Sept. 17 at Iowa.
Redshirt Senior 2022
- Did not make an appearance due to injury.
Senior 2021
- Started all 17 games for the Illini.
- Recorded five goals and two assists on the season.
- Fired 36 shots, 19 on target.
- Teamed up with Kendra Pasquale to score fastest pair of goals in Illinois history, scoring just 22 seconds apart from each other at Missouri 8/19/21.
Junior - 2020
- Third Team All-B1G
- United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-North Region
- Started all 12 games for the Illini this season.
- Led team in shots (27) and shots on goal (16).
- Netted three goals, all game-winners.
Sophomore - 2019
- Started all 18 matches for the Illini
- Tied for the team lead with six goals and ranked third with 14 points
- Led the team in shots (61) and shots on goal (29)
- Tallied two game-winning goals, including in the season opener vs. Loyola Chicago (Aug. 22) and in the inaugural game at Demirjian Park vs. Colorado College (Sept. 15)
- Her two goals vs. Colorado College marked a career-best, and her four points vs. the Tigers tied for the team's best on the season
- Recorded goals in wins at Illinois State (Sept. 8) and vs. Michigan State (Oct. 13), posted a goal and an assist in a loss at Maryland (Oct. 6)
- Her seven shots vs. Illinois State and Maryland marked a career-high
- Recorded an assist in the Illini's season-closing win vs. Minnesota (Oct. 27)
- Played 90-plus minutes in four matches.
Freshman - 2018
- Played in all 20 of Illinois' matches, earning 17 starts
- Led the Illini with her 46 shots on the season
- Scored five goals on the year, including the game-winning goal against SIUE (Sept. 2), which she netted 33 seconds into the match
- Put a season-best three shots on goal in three separate matches, Northern Illinois (Aug. 26), Illinois State (Sept. 9), Indiana (Oct. 14)
- Was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on August 21 after scoring her first-career goal at No. 3 Duke (Aug. 19)
High School
- NSCAA All-State honoree
- IHSA All-State and All-Conference honoree
- Three-time District 10 First Team Erie Times News honoree
- Two-time US Youth Soccer National Championship Best 11
- ODP Interregional National Camp attendee
- Three-time ODP State Team member
- Two-time ODP Regional Team member
- Helped her high school to a State Championship in her sophomore season
Personal
- Daughter of Chad and Jennifer Silber
- Born December 5, 1999
- Has one sibling, Gabe
- Father, Chad, played collegiate football
- Lists traveling as one of her favorite hobbies
- Enrolled early at the University of Illinois
Illinois Soccer I NCAA Tournament Postgame Press Conference vs. Memphis 11/15/25
Monday, November 17
Illinois Soccer I Head Coach Katie Hultin Media Availability Ahead of NCCA Tournament 11/12/25
Wednesday, November 12
After 23 Years, Illinois Soccer Starts a New Chapter
Wednesday, August 06
Meet Katie Hultin: Illinois Soccer’s New Leader
Sunday, June 15
