Ordonez’s efforts lift York

Updated: May 21, 2011 6:15PM

Christina Ordonez might be playing the best soccer in the Chicago area right now.

The York junior scored the first three goals Saturday to lead the No. 9 Dukes to a 5-0 victory over Hinsdale South in the Class 3A Argo Regional championship game.

It was the second hat trick of the season for Ordonez, who now has netted four goals in the playoffs and 24 for the season.

“I think that Christina is on fire right now in the sense that she is making herself dangerous every single minute she’s on the field,” York coach Krzysztof Halupka said. “She’s such a threat, whether it’s taking a player on, holding the ball for us. She’s putting the ball in the net.

“She’s a major asset for our team and I think that she’s done well in the sense that even when she’s not scoring she’s setting up people for goals and that’s another huge thing we’re trying to do with our team, is that everybody’s involved and everybody has a chance to go forward and get goals.”

It didn’t take long for Ordonez to find the back of the net. She dribbled into the Hinsdale South box and scored on a 12-yard shot just 2:13 into the contest. That seemed to set the tone for the Dukes (19-4-1), who won their ninth straight game and are 16-1-1 in their last 18 matches.

“Yeah, I think so because our coach had told us that we really need to come out fast, that (Hinsdale South) is a team that’s not always at their best at the beginning of the game and we needed to take advantage of that,” Ordonez said. “I saw the opportunity and I shot it between the goalie and the left post.”

The Hornets (12-9), which lost 2-1 to the Dukes on April 27, knew they had to limit mistakes, but Ordonez pounced on the next one to make it 2-0. She intercepted a clearing attempt by Hornets goalie Vanessa Niestrom and immediately converted from 15 yards out with 15:21 remaining in the first half.

“I didn’t expect that at all,” Ordonez said. “I guess I was just kind of in the right place at the right time.”

Hinsdale South coach Pat Wolf still felt his team had life until Ordonez completed her hat trick at the 25:58 mark of the second half. A long free kick by Angela Guerino bounced twice in the Hornets box and Ordonez nodded it over Niestrom’s head for what turned out to be the back-breaker.

“It’s hard when three minutes into the game you give one away,” Wolf said. “I’m not taking their goals away but I said at halftime their first two goals weren’t anything special. It’s just that they take advantage of their opportunities.

“When you’re going back out there and you’re only down 2-0 at half, there’s a chance and then that next goal is important. They got the next one and then it’s hard.”

But not for the Dukes, who scored twice more within 58 seconds on goals by senior Mary Kate Cicinelli and junior Sarah Sassanelli.

York is the third seed at its own sectional but beat top-seeded Lyons (19-4-1) and No. 2 seed Oak Park-River Forest (12-5-2) during the regular season. The Dukes will play Oak Park in Tuesday’s semifinals.

“I feel really confident,” Cicinelli said. “On this team we’re all positive with each other and we never let one get down and if someone is down we pick them back up. I know it’s going to be tough to beat us.”

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