It isn't often that local girls soccer teams have a four-year varsity starter at midfield. It's almost unheard of for a program like Munster.

But that's exactly what the Mustangs have received from senior captain Kelly Schlotman, who has been a mainstay in Munster's midfield since the 2006 season.

She's also a second-year team captain, using that responsibility to make other players around her mentally prepared for important games.

"I'm expected to do a little bit more now because I'm a senior," she said. "I'm supposed to get everyone mentally focused. I try to give them motivation and not to get down on themselves."

As a senior leader in the midfield, Schlotman is relied upon to make things happen on both offense and defense. It's a role she's been very effective in, Munster coach Val Pflum said.

"She's very calm, cool and collected in the center midfield," Pflum said of Schlotman. "She does a good job dispersing the ball so we continue to progress downfield offensively. She's usually the first person up offensively and the first person back defensively. With a quality team, everything goes to the middle of the field. They're the people who get up, and the people who get back. Kelly runs like a maniac to do her part."

As a four-year starter, Schlotman gives a lot of credit to former coach Tim Sopko, who gave her the chance to start on varsity as a freshman.

"There were a lot of coaches who made me more mentally confident in myself," she said. "Tim Sopko gave me a lot of confidence in putting me on varsity as a freshman, which gave me confidence as a player."

Schlotman, a straight-A student who plans to go into the medical field, has meshed extremely well with fellow midfielder Olivia Koufos.

"We feed off each other," Schlotman said. "We've played together for so long, and we try to work off each other. We just know where each other are at all times."

Munster had a heartbreaking loss to rival Highland last year in a sectional championship. Schlotman and the Mustangs are determined to avoid a repeat performance of last season.

"As a whole, we just need to make good passes and work off each other," Schlotman said. "It was devastating to lose to our biggest rival. We want to win sectionals this year."

GIRLS SOCCER

Times Top 10

(Last week's rankings in parentheses)

1. Highland (1)

2. Lake Central (2)

3. Griffith (3)

4. Crown Point (4)

5. Munster (5)

6. Valparaiso (9)

7. Kankakee Valley (8)

8. Chesterton (7)

9. Portage (6)

10. Boone Grove (10)