MOOVING NEWS: A pro soccer club named its team cow in honor of USWNT superstar Rose Lavelle
- Rose Lavelle now has a cow named in her honor.
- Pro soccer club Forward Madison FC held a fan contest to name its new team calf, and Rose Cowbelle won.
- The USWNT star responded "To say this is an honor would be an understatement" on Twitter Friday.
Rose Lavelle has many accomplishments to her name, but none quite as mooving as this.
The 25-year-old US Women's National Team superstar now has a cow named in her honor.
Forward Madison FC - the USL League One professional soccer franchise based in Madison, Wisconsin - recently acquired a calf when its original team cow, Lionela Bessi, gave birth. The club held a fan contest to find the perfect name for its new baby, and submissions ranged from Alex Moogan and Moogan Bovinoe to Moo Salah and Mooradona.
But the finalists came down to Concacalf - a play on the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football's acronym - and Rose Cowbelle. And on Friday, Forward Madison FC announced Rose Cowbelle had taken the "dairy close vote - 893 votes to 700."
"It may sound cheesy, but it's great that Forward Madison can provide some levity after such a difficult year," team owner Conor Caloia said in a pun-riddled statement after the results were revealed. "Moo-ving forward, we expect Rosie and Bessi to attend our home games when it is safe to do so again. As a Wisconsin team, we are proud to pay homage to our state's dairy industry."
Lavelle - the human, not to be confused with her bovine namesake - was thrilled to hear the news. She took to Twitter to respond, writing, "To say this is an honor would be an understatement."
Now a key member of the USWNT, Lavelle has deep ties to Forward Madison FC's home city in Wisconsin. The attacking midfielder spent her college years playing in Madison for the Wisconsin Badgers before moving on to the pros.
When she's not attending Forward Madison FC games, Cowbelle will live in the city's suburbs at Havens Petting Farm in Blue Mounds. According to the club, the calf "will be well taken care of by employees who have devoted their lives to the love of animals."
Perhaps Lavelle and her beloved English Bulldog, Wilma Jean Wrinkles, will find their way to America's Dairyland to meet Rose Cowbelle someday. In the meantime, Lavelle will be across the pond competing for Manchester City and preparing for the USWNT's upcoming Olympics run.