Yorkville’s Lindsay Ingemunson Leads Team to Victory Over West Aurora

Junior midfielder Lindsay Ingemunson isn’t satisfied with scoring only one goal for Yorkville. With her artistic approach to soccer, she controls the game in her favor. “The momentum of the game changes so much after you get one,” Ingemunson stated after securing a hat trick. “And there’s a fire that everybody wants to keep getting more. We had a strong start to the season, followed by a losing streak, and (Wednesday night) we really wanted to keep going for the seniors.”

Ingemunson set the pace on Wednesday. As a Loyola recruit, she scored three goals to lead the Foxes to a 4-2 win over West Aurora in a Class 3A Naperville Central Regional semifinal. Freshman forward Jaretzy Rodriguez netted a goal in the 35th minute for West Aurora (11-4-2), while Katherine Perez equalized with a goal in the 56th minute.

Ingemunson, however, sealed the win by converting penalty kicks in the 63rd and 68th minutes for Yorkville (10-6), who sought revenge for a prior 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks. The team advanced to compete for the regional title at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Freshman forward Hannah Sester, who scored Yorkville’s first goal in the 43rd minute, praised Ingemunson’s efforts. “Lindsay is obviously a strong offensive player,” Sester remarked. “We look at her any time we need something. She’s so scrappy, really fast, and she’s going to win any 50-50 ball. She has great footwork.”

Senior defender Amy Guzman assisted on Sester’s goal with a free kick. Moments later, Ingemunson scored her first goal, taking a 2-1 lead. “Lindsay is really strong and fast, and we know every time we find her, she has the ability to break down the defensive line,” Guzman said. “Personally, she’s just a funny, hilarious person. She lights up our team and is fun to be around.”

Ingemunson, with her fifth hat trick of the season, increased her season total to 31 goals. Last season, after playing club as a freshman, the 5-foot-8 Ingemunson scored 17 goals and had nine assists in her high school debut. Her combination of size, speed, and instinct for creating space is crucial; she shifts between playing midfield and forward at the top of the attack.

Ingemunson expressed, “I have decent height and my strength helps me body people off the ball. I also like to move off the ball. We’re good at playing through balls in space and getting wide. That lets me run onto the ball.”

As the youngest of four sisters, Ingemunson grew up eager to prove her worth. “None of my sisters played soccer, and my mom played in high school but not seriously,” she shared. “I played every kind of sport growing up, but I always liked soccer the best.”

The sport became pivotal for her in fourth grade when she joined a boys’ team. “Playing on a boys team showed me a different side of the game. That was when I realized how much I truly liked the game.” She also has two male cousins at her school, motivating her to showcase her skills.

After initially balancing soccer with basketball, Ingemunson chose to focus solely on soccer. “I love the bonds you create with your teammates,” she said. “It’s such a special thing, on and off the field. Celebrating with your team is one of the best feelings. I don’t think I’d ever step away from that.”

Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.