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10/04/2018 12:00 AMLauren Salbinski has earned her stripes as a member of the Valley Regional girls’ soccer team. Lauren is a four-year varsity player who hunkers down on defense for the Warriors, in addition to leading the team as a senior captain. Last season, Lauren slid up to midfielder when Valley needed someone to play that position. Now back in her familiar defensive role, Lauren is settling in for what she hopes is a memorable senior year with Head Coach Lloyd Warren’s squad.
While Lauren considers herself more of a quiet leader, she feels honored that her teammates and coaches wanted her to serve as a captain. Lauren takes the role seriously and feels that her biggest responsibility is making sure everyone on the squad stays focused as the campaign wears on.
“We’ve been playing together for so long. It was it great to see that my teammates and Coach Warren supported me in the position. It meant they wanted me. I’m more on the quiet side. I would say I’m a quiet leader, and Allie is there to get everyone riled up,” says Lauren, who captains the team with fellow senior Allie Ruel. “I think a major part of it is keeping a positive mentality throughout the season. As we get into November and the bigger games come along, people can get burnt out. I want to keep people up, and a positive mentality is a huge part of that.”
Lauren is a defensive player through and through. While many players want the opportunity to net that game-winning goal, Lauren likes trying to prevent the opposition from scoring against the Warriors.
“When I was younger, I played center back. Last year, I transitioned into a defensive midfielder. We needed to fill in for that spot, and I was a good fit,” says Lauren, an Essex resident. “I’ve moved back into the center back role, and I think it’s the best for me, because I have a defensive mindset. Some people enjoy scoring goals, but I think it’s equally as exciting to stop a goal.”
While goals and assists make it easy to see who’s impacting the game on the attack, there aren’t many statistics that display a defender’s true value on the field. Still, Lauren appreciates the contributions from every player on the team, regardless of whether or not they show up on the stat sheet.
“On our team, people recognize that there are different roles,” Lauren says. “Everyone has something to contribute to the team. It doesn’t really bother me if I’m not getting goals.”
Lauren excels with her physical play in the backfield. Strong defensive play often leads to quality offensive chances, and Lauren says that’s been a major focus for the Warriors this season.
“I don’t want the ball, because it’s not best for the team if the ball is getting into the backfield. Being a center back, I’m the last person before the keeper. If it does get to me, I think I’m a physical player and can get control of the ball,” Lauren says. “This year, we’re focusing on working out of the backfield. I’m looking to swing the ball and set our team up on offense.”
Coach Warren says that Lauren makes huge contributions to the Warriors both on and off the soccer pitch. Warren feels that Lauren’s leadership as a senior captain is invaluable, as is her ability to thwart opposing offenses.
“Lauren has displayed great leadership qualities throughout her career. She puts the team first and communicates well with her coaches and teammates. She is always respectful and guides younger players to help create a great team dynamic,” says Warren. “Lauren has always been a defensive player and reads the game well. She has moved between he defensive and midfield line throughout her career and has always shown her versatility and tactical understanding in those roles.”
Lauren anticipates that this will be her final year playing soccer. Lauren says she’s lucky that she gets to play the sport with a group of teammates who she’s known for so long.
“It would be great to have a title or something like that,” says Lauren. “But the fact is that I’ve played with all these people since I was 10 years old, and just being with them for the last year is a great experience.”