“You are definitely more capable of doing things than you think you are,” Steigerwalt said. “It made me so much stronger as a person just mentally, physically, everything.”
So far in the 2015-16 season, Steigerwalt has played in all 12 of the Hoosiers’ games.
IU Coach Amy Berbary has been impressed with her recovery and said Steigerwalt is in the best shape of her life.
“She’s persevered through this whole thing,” Berbary said. “I thought she had her best game all year last Sunday, so hopefully we haven’t seen the best of her yet.”
While Steigerwalt said she knew she could return from a torn ACL, she also knew it would be a long road to return to form.
“It was just starting from scratch,” Steigerwalt said. “I had to learn to walk, then learn to run and learn to squat. I learned to kick a soccer ball.”
At Columbus North High School, Steigerwalt led the Bull Dogs in scoring all four years.
Steigerwalt drew inspiration from a female player at Butler, Lindsey Fox.
“Growing up, I went to her games and always watched her,” Steigerwalt said. “She was definitely my role model.”
While no one could have foreseen how skilled she would later become, at the age of three Steigerwalt said she told her grandmother she would have a future in soccer.
IU recruited Steigerwalt to play soccer after high school. Having grown up near Bloomington, she had connections to IU.
“I think IU was one of the first schools to recruit me, and obviously I was interested,” Steigerwalt said. “My family went here, and we’ve always been big IU fans.”
Steigerwalt was an offensive player in high school, but debuted as a defender at IU. Despite this transition, Steigerwalt made five starts her freshman year. During her sophomore year, Steigerwalt moved to forward and played in all 23 games.
Now fully recovered from her ACL injury, Steigerwalt said she looks forward to continuing to play for the Hoosiers.
“I love this team,” Steigerwalt said. “It’s one of the greatest things in the world. I’m so lucky to be doing what I’m doing.”
