Two years ago, Jerry Perez didn’t doubt his ability to play varsity soccer.
As a freshman, he became the missing piece as the goalkeeper for Round Lake.
At the time, Round Lake coach Hugo Tellez wasn’t worried about putting a freshman in the net for a program with a tradition of success in soccer dating back to 2005.
“Every time I talk to Jerry, I’ve never had a goalie play with so much confidence and have a strong voice so early in his career,” Tellez said. “He took care of seniors when he was a freshman. My back line was seniors. He talked to them like a veteran. That’s something I’ve never had.”
Perez immediately showed he belonged in the net, recording a shutout in the season opener against Dundee-Crown in his freshman year.
“I remember having those first-game jitters against Dundee-Crown,” Perez said. “At first, I was nervous, but I’ve always played with older guys, even four years older than me. Once I got my first save, it was like a normal game to me. I got that first save really early, right off the bat.”
Since then, Perez has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in Lake County, and he recorded 11 saves in a 0-0 draw in a pivotal game against Grayslake Central in Round Lake on Thursday.
With first place in the Northern Lake County Conference on the line, Perez helped the Panthers (9-5-2, 6-0-1) avoid a loss to the Rams (9-4-2, 6-0-1) with two saves in the final seconds, including one off a scrum in the box following a corner kick with two ticks left in regulation. The teams will settle for a tie for first.
Grayslake Central sophomore goalkeeper Uriel Garcia Perez had eight saves in the heated and emotional game in front of a nearly packed crowd. Several skirmishes nearly broke out on the field, including a heated exchange among numerous players from both teams at the end of the game. Each team also got a red card in the 17th minute.
“It was a crazy game, with a lot of fans, so it felt nice coming out here and tying them,” Garcia Perez said. “It was a tough game with the field wet. Anything could have happened. We had a strong defense, so that was a big key.”
Tellez credited Perez for his gutsy play.
“Jerry is like another coach on that field for me,” Tellez said. “He’s matured so much. He’s just a pleasure to have. He had that big save at the end.”
In the abbreviated spring season, Grayslake Central pulled out a 2-1 win against the Panthers to secure a three-way tie in the conference. Entering Thursday, the Rams had won five straight and hadn’t lost since dropping four in a row to start the season.
The Panthers also entered with a five-game winning streak.
“Round Lake is a great team,” Grayslake Central coach Keith Andersson said. “It was an amazing game. … The way the kids played was amazing. We had a three-way tie in the spring, so now it’s a two-way tie. The boys fought hard all the way until the end. We had two golden opportunities in the end.”
After missing nearly nine months of action following a foot injury that led to a 20-pound weight gain, Perez returned to the pitch in the spring. He missed a handful of games this season, but he’s been a key factor in Round Lake’s recent winning streak.
“My foot was really bad at first,” Perez said. “At first, they said I would be out two weeks, but it was nine months. It was very hard. I gained a lot of weight, but I lost it pretty quick. I’m still not 100%. The foot is still bothering me. But I’m happy to help the team. I want to take this team as far as possible.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.