Chicago Red Stars defender, Tatumn Milazzo, earned National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Deloitte Impact Save of the Week honors, the league announced today.

In the 32nd minute of Chicago’s April 13 match against Angel City FC, Angel City’s Claire Emslie entered the 18-yard box and passed to Meggie Dougherty-Howard. Dougherty-Howard fired off a one-touch shot that sent Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher diving to the right, but Milazzo put herself in the ball’s path. The shot deflected off Milazzo and headed back to the left, now on a more dangerous path that Naeher would have been unable to save, as quick-footed Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson moved to put the ball in the net. Already tracking the ball back after the deflection, Milazzo was able to beat Thompson, heroically sliding to stop the ball from crossing the line without a second to spare.

The perfectly timed clearance from Milazzo held the score at 0-0 until the ball took an unlucky bounce off fellow Chicago defender Maxi Rall in the 40th minute, resulting in an own goal. Unable to recover an equalizer, the Red Stars fell 0-1 when the final whistle blew, recording the team’s first loss of the 2024 season.

The award is Milazzo’s first Save of the Week honor in her young career, but the defender is no stranger to league honors. Milazzo was previously named to the NWSL June Best XI in 2022 and subsequently to the 2022 NWSL Best XI Second Team because of her performance on the pitch throughout the 2022 season. This is the second Save of the Week honor awarded to a Red Star in the four short weeks of the 2024 NWSL season. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher received the honor in Week 1 after her miraculous tip pushed the ball just above the crossbar during Chicago’s 2-0 road victory over the Utah Royals FC in the club’s season opener March 16.

Milazzo and the Red Stars next travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on Seattle Reign FC in the two teams’ second and final meeting of the regular season April 21. Chicago then returns home to SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, to host Portland Thorns FC April 27. The first 1,000 Red Stars fans to enter April 27 will receive an exclusive Red Stars bucket hat. Tickets can be purchased at chicagoredstars.com/tickets.