Round Lake senior midfielder Bella Perry has been inspired by her grandmother throughout her life.
That’s one of the reasons Perry, who is among the top players in Lake County, is headed to Roosevelt University.
“My grandmother is the only one from our family to go to college,” Perry said. “She’s been one of my biggest supporters, encouraging me to go to college for soccer and always wanting me to succeed like her.”
Perry had 12 goals and nine assists last year, when she was named All-Northern Lake County Conference, but she has refined her game. She has 15 goals and six assists this season, forming an unstoppable duo with senior midfielder Ariadne Gonzalez. Perry and Gonzalez, who has 23 goals and 11 assists, are the leaders for the Panthers (9-6-1, 2-3).
“I worked more on my speed and endurance and vision on the field,” Perry said. “I had countless practices getting repetitions in to prepare for my senior year. I wanted to leave Round Lake High School with a good reputation, so I knew I had to train. I prepared all fall and winter.”
Perry said she and Gonzalez share a bond that goes beyond the field.
“We’ve been playing soccer since first grade,” Perry said. “She’s my best friend. Our connection is great on the field. We’re always looking for each other. Whenever I need someone to score, she’s always there, or vice versa. She’s the first person I always run to when we celebrate. She’s my other half on the field. We’re hard to stop.”
Gonzalez, a St. Francis commit, said their connection is paying dividends this season.
“We don’t even have to talk, just give a look, and we both know what to do,” Gonzalez said. “When I make a run, she passes me the ball with a through ball to my feet. I feel it gives us an advantage and we catch teams off guard.”
Perry’s stellar four-year varsity career hasn’t caught Round Lake coach Victor Rico off guard. Rico said he played soccer with Perry’s father, Adrian, through high school at Round Lake.
“I knew her when she was just starting out her soccer career, so I’ve always known about her and her talents,” Rico said. “Her dad was a good midfielder. She’s a completely different player than her dad. He was more of a technical, in-place player. Bella is a box-to-box player. She’s a harder worker with an incredible shot.”
Rico, who said Perry will be among the all-time greats at Round Lake, praised her ability to adapt to different formations and styles of play and to help younger teammates understand those too.
“Bella’s stats are not going to show the type of player she really is,” Rico said. “I call her my double player. On the field with her, it’s like playing with 12 kids. She runs and creates and battles for two. She’s part of a dynamic duo with Ari. She’s done everything right leading up to this season, but now maturity has kicked in.”
Rico said Perry’s commitment to Roosevelt has helped her too.
“Deciding on college early in the season took a lot of weight and pressure off her and gave her a peace of mind and freedom to play and to enjoy the game,” Rico said.
With the postseason just two weeks away, Rico’s time coaching Perry will come to an end soon.
“Bella’s the teammate and type of athlete every coach wishes they had,” Rico said.
Perry is ready to finish strong. The eighth-seeded Panthers, whose five-game winning streak was snapped last week, will play ninth-seeded Dundee-Crown (7-4-3) in the Class 3A regional semifinals in Carpentersville on May 15.
“We didn’t start the season well, but we’re doing so much better,” she said. “I think we’ve been focusing and training a lot harder to have a special season and do well in the playoffs.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
