Girls Soccer: York senior Christina Ordonez making it look easy

Updated: May 12, 2012 5:38PM

York senior forward Christina Ordonez subverts the most common assumption about soccer. In a game where scoring is treated as a rare and valuable commodity, she finds it natural, even commonplace.

Interestingly enough, it comes so easily, she finds it hard to describe.

‘‘I think I’m a really hard worker, and I pressure hard and I run my hardest,’’ she said. ‘‘I think, also, a lot of my personal success is because of my team. We work really well together, and I’m able to finish [goals] off.’’

The Michigan recruit has put up spellbinding figures in her four-year career, constantly scoring against defenses marked to deny her. Ordonez has averaged more than a goal per game her entire career. This year, she has 32 goals and six assists through 22 games.

That pushed her career total to 113. She’s almost certain to break into the state’s top 20 career scorers, according to the IHSA. She’s also approaching breaking her single-season best of 34 goals, which she set as a sophomore. She had 28 goals last year in leading the Dukes to the first sectional title in school history.

Rangy and athletic, she combines speed and agility to create regular mismatches on the field.

‘‘Christina is one of the most talented and exciting players to ever play soccer at York,’’ coach Chris Halupka said.

Her father, Ed, wrestled at Illinois. Her younger sister Ellie is a junior defender for the Dukes. Ordonez’s immersion into the game started at age 6, playing in youth and travel teams around Elmhurst.

‘‘I just fell in love with it,’’ she said. ‘‘Every team I’ve ever been on, I’ve just enjoyed it.’’

She also made an early and important personal connection, a friendship with Courtney McHugh. Now, the two form a devastating one-two scoring punch for York. McHugh, a Wisconsin recruit, played club a year ago.

They have a natural rapport playing together.

‘‘We’ve been best friends since preschool,’’ Ordonez said. ‘‘Ever since we started on Team Elmhurst, we know where to put the ball on each other, where to run to the ball. She knows she can count on me.’’

Halupka said she is intuitively humble. Yet her most privileged moment, she said, is taking control at the end of games. She has been known to brood after tough losses.

‘‘I just love that tough games against good teams, playing a tied game, the last five minutes, everybody’s so into it and everybody wants to be part of those games,’’ she said.

York is the No. 2 seed at the Class 3A Downers Grove South Sectional behind conference rival Lyons, which beat York 1-0 in April. The No. 12 Dukes have played their best soccer of late. Ordonez said the team is eager to prove itself.

‘‘You always hear about the bigger-name teams, like from Naper­ville and St. Charles, and we’ve done well against them,’’ she said. ‘‘Our goal is to go as far as possible, and we do think we have a good chance, as long as stay positive and stay together.’’

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