“She’s got the potential to be an All-Big West performer,” CSUN Coach Keith West says.
That potential quickly showed in 2006, when Vermillion played in all 19 of the CSUN women’s soccer team’s games — starting in 13 of them.
“I wouldn’t say it’s totally out of the ordinary,” says West of a true freshman starting, “I wouldn’t say it’s the norm, either.”
Vermillion was a standout outfielder for the Crescenta Valley softball team, as well, but her goal was always to earn a scholarship to play college soccer. She did just that, with her junior and senior seasons as a Falcon evidence enough of her talents.
Equally valuable on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, Vermillion garnered All-Pacific League and All-Area honors in 2005 and ‘06, helping the Falcons to a share of the league title as a junior after a historic win against archrival Arcadia. Individually, her senior year was a huge success, but after a dominant start to league play, a controversial forfeit defeat led to the demise of Crescenta Valley and an eventual third-place finish.
The disappointment of her senior campaign didn’t translate into her freshman year, though.
“She played great as a freshman,” CSUN redshirt freshman Katie Fox says. “It just seemed to fall into place for her.”
Like most incoming freshman, Vermillion admits she dealt with a lot of changes getting to know her teammates, adjusting to the higher level of play and dealing with all of it while realizing the alterations of a higher education.
“It took a while — college is a big step from high school or even club [soccer],” Vermillion says. “It didn’t take too long, though. All the girls [on the team] were really, really nice. First day [of practice] is a big wake-up call, though.”
Vermillion was most assuredly wide awake.
