ALL-CVA GIRLS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Emily Perrin, Charlottesville

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Published: August 12, 2008

Look up just about any state record by a VHSL girls soccer player and most likely that mark will be owned by the same person: Emily Perrin.

In four years, the tall blonde has helped change the way outsiders view Charlottesville High girls soccer. Having led the program to unprecedented success, Perrin has kept the statisticians reaching for the Wite-Out.

However, there’s much more to Perrin than athletic performance. A solid citizen and a serious student, she has taken self-motivated and determination to a new level. Groomed as a stand-up kid from the start by her parents (her dad, Tom, was an assistant coach from Terry Holland’s and Jeff Jones’ University of Virginia basketball teams), she is the consummate role model even though she cringes at the cliche.

How else could anyone other than Perrin be considered as The Daily Progress’ pick as Central Virginia Girls Soccer Player of the Year? No one, perhaps in the history of the sport in the Commonwealth has ever produced greater credentials. Take a look at her VHSL records:

- First in points in a season (106)

- First in points in a career (279)

- First in career hat tricks (14)

- Tied for first in most goals in a game (6)

- Second in career goals (124)

- Second in goals in a season (46)

We rest our case.

Then, there’s the other part of being a team captain, a person that inspires one’s teammates. Rick Lilly, the athletic director at CHS, has taken notice in Perrin’s ability to lead.

“Emily’s leadership style is very simple and entirely effective — she outworks her opponents while leading confidently and quietly,” Lilly said. “She is absolutely a role model for others and has displayed integrity and ethics throughout her career in dealing with teammates, officials, coaches, and opponents.

“She is the type of person that makes everyone around her better on and off the field. Emily has the extremely rare combination in an athlete of outstanding talent and motivation. The combination of the two has made her a fantastic student, solidly placed her in the VHSL record book, and earned her a full scholarship to play soccer at the University of Vermont.”

This past season, she scored 36 goals, 77 points, seven hat tricks (three goals or more in a game), led the team to the state tournament for only the second time in school history (the other was her sophomore year) and earned every postseason honor imaginable on the district, region and state stage. A four-year starter, Perrin also captured the Central Virginia Player of the Year honor her sophomore season.

What she looks back upon isn’t about the numbers, but more about raising the image of her program, about forging relationships that would not have existed between a diverse group of teammates, and about winning.

“I don’t think too much about records,” Perrin said before heading off to practice Aug. 8 for Vermont’s soccer practice (the Catamounts open up Aug. 23 against Navy). “Records really aren’t important to me. I realize a set a lot of them my sophomore year as well, and I broke some of my own records from that year, but I don’t ever think about those going into a season, nor do I look at them after a season.”

Instead, she prefers to measure the quality of a season by how well her team finished and how she fit into the fabric of that team. The results reveal she did pretty darned good in both categories.

CHS has enjoyed its most successful four-year run coinciding with Perrin’s presence. The Black Knights (21-1) were the state runner-up her sophomore season, and returned to the state quarterfinals this past season when the match against Courtland was called due to weather after only half the game had been played.

While her on-field exploits were nearly legendary, Perrin believed her leadership role was even more valuable because it was primarily a young team. She credits her co-captains for also providing that leadership.

What else would you expect from a humble kid, who was never satisfied with her own performance no matter how excellent it may have been, but took more delight in the success of her teammates.

A lot of that attitude was derived from her parents, particularly her father, who started out as a walk-on basketball player at Vermont and finished as a captain and a starter. Both parents are Vermont grads, so she was more than comfortable accepting a scholarship from a familiar program. She has made so many visits to the town and campus she can practically walk it blindfolded.

One thing about Perrin, is that it seemed she could almost score at will, an amazing feat for a soccer player. If not at will, then certainly she discovered ways to count in the clutch when her team needed her the most. As a senior, she tallied hat tricks in the Jefferson District final and Region II semifinals.

The CHS forward obviously loved to score, but shunned the credit that accompanied her uncanny ability to produce.

“None of it happens unless I have a team behind me,” Perrin said with a bright smile. “I’m a pretty determined person. Very determined and very self-motivated. I think I do really well under pressure. There have been many occasions, whether it’s my high school team or my club team, when I’ve been asked to take it to the next level and I’ve always found a way. I wouldn’t say I’m able to score at will, but I have been pretty good at finding ways when it comes down to it.”

She comes from a competitive background. Her family battles at everything, board games, building sandcastles at the beach. Her father’s sports psychology and coaching background have been a blessing to the mental side of sports for her.

Perrin has an ability to overcome obstacles, to shrug adversity and remain positive. She credits her family, her coaches in high school and in SOCA, her teammates, for her success, along with former UVa star Sara Huffman, who took the time to train with her two years ago as the two created a bond that remains healthy today (Huffman plays for the Washington Freedom).

Huffman was a true role model — ugh, there’s that word again — but aided in Perrin’s vision to see the big picture. No wonder the high schooler spearheaded the fundraising to obtain new uniforms for her team and also took on the responsibility of handling the communication between Lilly and the team.

Did someone say above and beyond the call of duty?

She said the Central Virginia honor was something she will treasure, but will share it with all those who helped her develop as a player and a person. She is even more proud of the team accomplishments and that the CHS program is now on the state soccer map.

“This is a great way to finish my high school career, but a new chapter comes,” she said about her career at Vermont.

It’s a program with a new coach and a lot of fresh faces on its roster, along, perhaps with a new attitude.

“The thought of doing at Vermont what I did in high school consumes me every day,” Perrin said. “I like to make a difference, whether it’s in something I do or in helping other people. At the end of the day, it’s going to be about what I could do to serve that team and help change the face of Vermont soccer. I would definitely want to be part of that. Hopefully, one day it will happen.”

With Emily Perrin on board, how could it not?

2008 All-Central Virginia girls soccer team:

First team

Forwards

Sunny Herold, Fluvanna HM Group AA, 1st team Reg. II

Erin Hauser, Covenant 1st team VISAA, All-LIS

Midfield

Monica Matsumoto, Charlottesville HM Group AA, 2nd team Reg. II

Megan Seelye, Fluvanna 2nd team Group AA, 1st team Reg. II

Lucy Hidlay, Albemarle 1st team All-Commonwealth

Kelly Short, Charlottesville 2nd team Reg. II, 1st team All-JD

Defensive Midfield

Katie Estep, Covenant 1st team VISAA, All-LIS

Defense

Emily Klein, Covenant VISAA D-II player of the year, All-LIS

Shannon Mann, St. Anne’s All-LIS

Goalkeeper

Martha Hay, Covenant 2nd team VISAA

Player of the Year

Emily Perrin, Charlottesville 1st team Group AA, JD player of year

Coach of the Year

Pat Campbell, Covenant Led team to VISAA Division II title

Second team

Forwards

Danielle Johnson, St. Anne’s All-LIS

Kelley Parrish, Louisa 1st team All-JD

Stephanie Adams, Western 2nd team All-JD

Holly Grubb, Madison 1st team All-Bull Run

Midfield

Alexa Franco, St. Anne’s All-LIS

Tyler Drake, Fluvanna 1st team All-JD

L.P. Desch, Western 1st team All-JD

Cory Murphy, Western 1st team All-JD

Defensive Midfield

Caty Kirk Robins, Monticello 1st team All-JD

Defense

Lilly Bredius-Ruiz, Albemarle 1st team All-Commonwealth

Goalkeeper

Caitlin Morris, St. Anne’s All-LIS

Honorable Mention

Melissa Messier, Fluvanna 2nd team All-JD

Liza Little, Charlottesville 2nd team All-JD

Erica Smith, Louisa 2nd team All-JD

Jessica Roman, William Monroe 2nd team All-JD

Emma Spellman, Albemarle HM All-Commonwealth

Rachel Kidney, Albemarle HM All-Commonwealth

Martha Clemens, Orange 2nd team All-JD

Jessie Wingo, Monticello 2nd team All-JD

Lauren Wilson, Monticello 2nd team All-JD

Erin Cersely, Monticello 2nd team All-JD

Anna Almy, Western 2nd team All-JD

Lexy Eckerle, Western 2nd team All-JD

Danielle Marshall, Monticello 2nd team Reg. II, 1st team All-JD