Making the Case: Rose Lavelle for BioSteel U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

Closing out another year in which her creativity, consistency and contributions on both sides of the ball were on full display for both club and country, midfielder Rose Lavelle has been named as one of five finalists for the 2022 BioSteel U.S. Soccer Female Player of Year.

• READ MORE: 2022 BioSteel Female Player of the Year Nominees

For the second year in a row, fans will have the opportunity to vote on select Player of the Year Awards, with the fan vote comprising 15% of the total vote. Nominees for all awards are selected by U.S. Soccer’s technical staff. Voting for the awards starts Thursday, Dec. 15 at 11:00 a.m. ET and closes on Dec. 22 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The winners will be announced in the weeks that follow.

• VOTE NOW: Fan Voting for Player of the Year Awards

A look back at the year that was for Lavelle:

One of the USA’s most consistently impactful players, Lavelle started 15 of the 16 matches she played and ranked fourth on the team with 1,108 minutes of action this year.

• Lavelle tallied a career-high six assists on the year, which ranked second overall on the team. She also scored four goals on the year to finish with 10 total goal involvements, the third-most combined goals and assists on the team behind Mallory Pugh and Sophia Smith.

• The 27-year-old scored the game-winning goal against Nigeria on a spectacular flying header during a friendly match in September and also had a goal in the Concacaf W Championship against Jamaica. Her two other goals on the year came via a brace against Uzbekistan on April 12, a match in which she also netted and assist.

 

 

• The creative and high-motor Lavelle finished the year second on the team with 26 chances created and third in shots on goal (13) while also making her impact felt defensively, ranking second on the team with 34 total tackles, third in interceptions (16) and fifth in total ball recoveries (81).

• She played in all five games at the Concacaf W Championship, starting four, and had a goal and an assist while helping the USA qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

• It was a career year for Lavelle in the NWSL, appearing in a total of 18 games for 2022 NWSL Shield winners OL Reign. Lavelle logged 1,558 minutes across the regular season and postseason  - bother of which were career-bests – while also tallying a career-best five goals during the 2022 campaign and adding one assist.

• Lavelle played nearly every minute of OL’s seven-game unbeaten run to close out the regular season and was voted to the NWSL Best XI Second Team at the conclusion of the year.

This is Lavelle’s second consecutive nomination for U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year and her third overall, also being named as a finalist in 2019 and 2021.