Red Devils can't hold off York in WSS showdown

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By Gary Larsen

Hinsdale Central’s schedule is annually a who’s-who of teams ranked among the state’s elite. On Tuesday in Elmhurst, the Red Devils took on a York team that is 9-1 in its last ten games and went into the game unbeaten in West Suburban Silver play.

You might not currently find York listed on anyone’s rankings, but the Dukes can play. York stayed unbeaten in the conference, winning 3-0 over Hinsdale Central.

“They went to goal well and they had some good finishes,” Red Devils coach Skip Begley said. “They have some good attacking players and we’re trying to find ourselves in the back. We just don’t have the answers for eighty minutes yet.”

The Red Devils (7-8-2, 1-3) had the answers it needed through 36 minutes in holding the Dukes (12-4-1, 4-0) at bay. York has scored 52 goals in 17 games this season but the Dukes didn’t find the net until sophomore Sam Hamilton scored 4 minutes before halftime.

Christina Ordonez and sister Ellie Ordonez scored in the second half for York, while outside mids Mary Kate Cicinelli and Angela Bianchi provided persistent threats up the flanks, but it was the two girls in the center of the park for York that spearheaded Tuesday’s attack.

Sam Luke and Danielle Vujovic were simply all over the midfield for coach Krzysztof Halupka.

“My two center midfielders really helped us today. To cover that much ground in a game, and they played pretty much the entire game, so for them to keep up that pace and be workhorses the way they were – today they did a particularly good job for us,” Halupka said.

“I thought winning the midfield today was really the difference in the game, which allowed us to go forward and attack.”

Veteran striker Christina Ordonez tipped her hat to the girls responsible for getting the ball up to York’s strikers.

“Our midfield is really strong. (Vujovic) and Sam Luke really control the game,” Ordonez said. “They’re natural midfielders and they know how to switch a ball really well, and keep it going forward.”

Down 1-0 at halftime, Hinsdale Central came out hoping to find an equalizing goal.

“I think Eryka Hawkins is dangerous when she gets the ball, and we have to try to get her the ball a little more in open space,” Begley said. “I thought Drea Issleib played very well in the midfield today. She wins a lot of balls in the air and disrupts a lot. But we’ve just been unable to generate much offense lately.

“We get one or two shots and if we don’t score it puts a lot of pressure on our defense. We keep working hard and we see some bright spots every once in a while, but sometimes it seems like we take one step forward and two steps back.”

Christina Ordonez put added pressure on the Red Devils when she turned and fired into net just 4 minutes into the second half.

The Red Devils withstood York’s pressure until the 77-minute mark, when Ellie Ordonez scored from a crowd in the penalty area. Field player Julia Gesior played between the pipes for Central on Tuesday.

“We don’t have a goalkeeper again, and even though she gave up three goals I thought it was admirable of Julia to step in,” Begley said. “In the second half we started dropping back and letting them continually attack. Sooner or later you’ve got to at least try to get them away from the goal. But we’re learning. We had some chances early on and weren’t able to convert. Then we start to doubt ourselves and make it a little bit harder on ourselves.”

Since starting the season with a 2-3 record, York has gone 10-1-1 and continues to buy into the philosophy preached by first-year coach Halupka, who took over this season for Rachael Sheperd, who became York’s assistant athletic director this year.

“I think we’re going a great job this year, especially after a rough start,” Ordonez said. “Now we’re all used to each other and things just started to click.”

Halupka likes what his girls have given him in his maiden season as head coach.

“We have a good group of girls who are very good soccer players. What we’ve tried to do is build a positive atmosphere, and it’s always more fun when you’re winning,” Halupka said.

“At the same time we’re doing the hard work that’s necessary for each other on the field, and that was my goal. The chasing and the running and the fighting is for each other on the field, that no one feels alone on the field, and that’s what I’m looking to do.”

York keeper Anna Bell Landsdowne and her defense posted its 5th shutout of the season with Tuesday’s win.

“We’re giving up shots from thirty yards out and those are the shots we want to give up,” Halupka said. “And Anna Bell has come into her own. She has grown in confidence and we hear her more. She’s a much more vocal player and that’s hard – to tell older players what to do. But we keep harping on it and we tell the other girls that they have to listen to their goalie.”

Angela Guerino, Abbey Wilkins, Taylor Navarro, and Allie Whitcomb kept Lansdowne well-protected Tuesday and are coming together as a defensive unit after losing one of their own. Megan LeDonne and Edith Flores also contribute in back for the Dukes.

 “Meryl Cripe got injured recently and that is a painful loss for our team because she was our starting sweeper,” Halupka said. “Allie Whitcomb is a person who can play a stopper or a marking back and we’ve adjusted her role to be the new sweeper.”

York’s remaining games include Proviso West, St. Ignatius, and Rolling Meadows this week before the Dukes finish out next week against fellow unbeaten WSS foe Lyons Township and then a season finale against Downers Grove South.

The Red Devils have Glenbard West and Downers Grove North left in conference play and will close out the regular season against Benet and Wheaton Warrenville South next week.

“We have nine losses now and I think (York) and is the only team we’ve lost to that isn’t ranked in the top fifteen in the state,” Begley said. “Them and Saint Viator. We haven’t beat anyone of that caliber yet so hopefully we can continue to improve and be ready for the end of the year now.”