The Wisconsin women’s soccer team may have suffered an abrupt end to a promising season, but the shortcomings of the team haven’t deflected any attention to the quality season of midfielder Rose Lavelle. As the only unanimous selection to the all-conference team, Lavelle once again showed the Big Ten why she is considered among the country’s elite players.
Coming into the season on the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list, which honors the best male and female soccer player in the NCAA, Lavelle managed to lead a depleted Wisconsin attack to an unlikely regular season conference crown, scoring seven goals and tallying three assists along the way. In addition to her impressive stat line were the intangible benefits she brought to the team, which include her ability to draw multiple defenders to the ball and maintain her spring speed while dribbling like few others can.
Women’s soccer: Lavelle, unsure at start of college career, has found home at Wisconsin
It was a 2015 campaign that left no one surprised at her being selected one of the 15 semifinalists for the Hermann Trophy, joining Penn State star forward Raquel Rodriguez as the only Big Ten players to earn the nomination. Lavelle is the first Badger semifinalist since goalkeeper Heather Taggart in 1991, who went on to finish as the runner up.
The next cut of nominees will occur on Dec. 11, which will leave three women left for consideration. If Lavelle were to advance, she would earn the chance to become the first woman in school history to walk away with the award.
Certainly helping her case for the award will be her call up to the U.S. Women’s National Team. As a member of the squad’s last four matches of their Victory Tour, Lavelle will suit up for her first match Dec. 6 against Trinidad and Tobago at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.
Noting a mix of nerves and excitement in reaction to the promotion, Lavelle said playing with some of her childhood idols will be a surreal experience, namely legend Abby Wambach, who will play her last game as a professional at the tour’s end in New Orleans.
“I’ve grown up watching her,” Lavelle said. “It will be really exciting to be there to send her off in person. It still seems a little unreal that I’ll be there for that.”
