Coming into this season, the Kent State field hockey team faced a tough question.

Who would replace the three leading scorers it lost during the summer?

In the beginning of the season, senior forwards Elizabeth Lahey and Kate Perry were the offensive leaders, but recently the majority of the offense has come from an unlikely source in junior back/midfielder Charlotte Muller.

Muller had three goals and three assists in the past three games. Prior to this season, the reigning Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week had just three assists in two years.

However, Muller is not feeling any pressure to keep up her recent offensive production.

“I am not feeling any personal pressure because it is a whole team effort,” Muller said. “There is always the pressure to keep it up as a team and try to make it a winning weekend, but it is not just me that is under pressure.”

Muller, who was named to the All-MAC First Team last season, knows that any offense she gives Kent State (4-8, 1-2 MAC) is just a bonus.

“I feel like I’m a good communicator,” Muller said. “I always try to talk even when we are winning. I’m working on my skills as a distributor. I am just a poised person.”

The Netherlands native has come a long way since her freshman year for the Flashes. Muller also thinks she still has room to improve.

“I can ask for the ball now,” Muller said. “Sometimes I feel like I’m hiding from the ball too much, but I think that’s just because I’m not used to the position yet. I also need to get quicker when I am distributing the ball.”

This year’s Kent State team almost seems to shun the individual spotlight. Muller is no different. The highlight of her season isn’t any of her four goals or her team-high 28 shots. The highlight of her season to date is a team effort.

“The highlight was definitely the win over Michigan State,” Muller said. “After that game we became more of a team than we have ever been. We still have a losing record, but the future now is bright.”

Kent State will play at Central Michigan (5-5, 0-2 MAC) at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Contact field hockey reporter Tyler McIntosh at [email protected].