August 4, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Racing Louisville FC News Release
Racing Louisville FC midfielder Savannah DeMelo is congratulated by teammates
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: USA Today Sports Images)
Racing Louisville FC midfielder Savannah DeMelo continued a breakout first professional season Thursday when named the NWSL’s Rookie of the Month, presented by Ally, for July.
DeMelo went the full 90 minutes in all four of Racing’s games, scoring two goals and pushing herself into the league lead for crosses (100) and fouls won (45) as the calendar turned to August.
“I am super grateful and blessed to be getting Rookie of the Month,” DeMelo said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and staff. They’ve all been great, helping me in my rookie year. I am really excited to see where the team goes in the final few months of the season. We need to keep pushing forward and getting better each game.”
The 24-year-old opened July with her second free kick goal of the season in an eventual 2-2 draw against the Orlando Pride. DeMelo scored in back-to-back games when Racing saw NJ/NY Gotham FC next out.
Through July 31, DeMelo led all NWSL rookies in time on field with 1,168 minutes played and sat tied for second in rookie scoring with three goals.
From Bellflower, California, DeMelo was a mainstay on All Pac-12 teams during her time at the University of Southern California. That led up to Racing Louisville selecting her fourth overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft.
DeMelo quickly worked her way into a starting role during the preseason NWSL Challenge Cup and made the league’s Best XI for May as the regular season opened.
Also boasting youth national team experience, DeMelo could break through at the senior team level as well after being named to the U.S. Women’s National Team’s preliminary roster for the recent Concacaf W Championship.
The NWSL Rookie of the Month is selected throughout the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis.
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