Oct. 1, 2008
By Honsen Lin SEATTLE -- Last Friday, as a soccer ball sailed onto the field on a Husky corner kick, junior striker Veronica Perez rushed in from the penalty box and headed it past the Utah goalie to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead -- a lead that was never relinquished. Washington won 3-0. That goal was the latest of Perez's seven goals this season; she also added an assist in the second half of the game, her third of the season. Perez's career totals prior to this season were just two goals and three assists. Perez said she knew she would improve, but couldn't fathom the sudden boost in production. "I knew I was going to have a better year," she said. "I was fitter and I felt more comfortable on the ball and I just knew that going in that I was going to finally show [the coaches] what I can do. But I didn't know it was going to come right away, so that was fun." Her coaches, though, believed she could deliver such performances all along. Coach Lesle Gallimore said Perez is both capable and creative on the soccer pitch. "She's a gifted player, technically on the ball," said Gallimore. "She has a great soccer sense, has a great passion for playing. She cares about winning." Coach Jim Thomas wasn't shocked by Perez's success either. "It wasn't a surprise to me," said Thomas. "It was just a matter of things clicking into place and her basically getting the opportunity to getting a reward for all the work she's done." As with most other athletes, Perez's breakout season was not a result of overnight success. The junior striker spent all summer getting in shape and practicing. "During the summertime, I definitely went out every day with some of the girls and again with our strength and conditioning coach," said Perez. "We were out there every day for a couple hours, working on our game." Gallimore praised Perez's efforts over the summer and views her rise as a new weapon for the team. "From the end of the last season until now, she worked really, really hard to get herself to the level of fitness that allows her to do the things she's capable of doing," Gallimore said. "Which is obviously creating goals for us." Perez has come a long way since her humble beginnings in local youth soccer clubs. She recounts how her parents first signed her up for a youth league at age four or five. She kept active in the sport from then on. Her love of the game carried her through various soccer clubs up to high school and eventually to college. "I knew a couple girls on the team like Nikki Murray, Chelsea [Bumbaugh] and Kendyl [Pele]," said Perez on choosing Washington. "When I came up for my visit it just felt right." Perez made an instant impact upon joining the soccer team at Washington, playing in all the games in her first two seasons at the UW and starting more than half of them. "My first few years were kind of rough," said Perez. "We had three losing seasons for a while, but now we're back on track." Although Perez has emerged as the Huskies premier scoring threat, at least statistically, she and her coaches believe her success stems from that of her teammates as well. "The more mature our team's become, the more talented and deep our team's become, and the more [Perez has] been able to shine with the people around her," said Gallimore. "She's been a big part of helping other players get better." Perez's friend and teammate, sophomore defender Pele, expressed similar sentiments. "I love playing with V," said Pele. "She's one of the players that makes everyone around her better. She has such a presence on the field in everything she does." The Huskies are preparing for the second half of the season, including some tough games against Pac-10 opponents. Gallimore said despite Perez's success, the team matters most. "We want her to do well, we want her to continue to play well but it can't all be about her," said Gallimore. "We can't rely on her so heavily that if she has an off-game or can't finish a goal that we don't have other people that can't do that. But it's kind of fun to watch her play. She's an exciting player." |
