Seyla Perez | Howland soccer

Seyla Perez first started playing soccer when she was 4 years old. It wasn’t long after that she began getting national attention.

Now a junior at Howland, Perez has been all over the country with her club team playing some of the nation’s best teams. But whether it’s for the Cleveland United or Howland Tigers, she always puts her teammates — and best friends — first.

“I love getting to work with a team,” Perez said. “All the coaches I’ve been around have made me work hard and had a great impact on me. They’ve helped me through everything.”

Under first-year coach Joe Megyesi, Howland went 16-3 and advanced to the regional final, a further step than a year before. Perez scored 21 goals with 15 assists.

“Next year,” she said, “we want to have even more fun. “Hopefully we can come in and do just as good as we did in the past. It’s my last year, so might as well make the best of it.”

Over the summer, Perez selected the University of Pittsburgh as her college choice. The Panthers are joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013, the best league in the country, Perez said.

Pitt went 7-10-2 and Perez wants to be part of a bigger turnaround.

“I love the coaches,” she said. “I had to make my decision pretty early, too, because it fills up pretty quick and I didn’t want to get left out.”

Someday, she wants to be in the FBI.