Girls Soccer: York’s bid for WSS title alive after downing Hinsdale Central

Updated: May 3, 2012 10:08PM

York’s bid for a third consecutive West Suburban Silver championship is still alive, barely, after the Dukes escaped with a 2-0 victory over host Hinsdale Central on Thursday.

The Red Devils (5-10-2, 2-3) did their best to knock the Dukes out of the race, controlling most of the action, but Christina Ordonez scored her 25th goal of the season on a penalty kick in the first half and fellow senior Nicole Foster bagged her first goal with 9:55 left in the second half for York.

“I think we just kept with our plan, stayed tough and finished a nice PK when we had an opportunity and then at the end I think we just work them down and we were able to get another goal to seal the victory,” said York goalie Anna Bell Lansdowne.

Lansdowne made eight saves to record her 11th shutout. Only one was tough but it preserved York’s lead as Lily Chetosky’s 25-yard bullet on the run was headed for the upper left corner before Lansdowne knocked it down.

Despite the win, the Dukes (14-4, 4-1) do not control their own destiny. They need to beat Proviso West on Tuesday and have Oak Park-River Forest beat Lyons in order to create a three-way tie.

“It feels good to be in it,” Lansdowne said. “I think we’d rather have control and just go out and be able to beat LT (Lyons), but I think we’re fine where we are. We’re just really hoping [to go far] in the state tournament.”

Hinsdale Central outshot the Dukes 12-9 and was dominating the action when Foster scored against the run of play. Bryce Banuelos started the play with a pass into the box to Courtney McHugh, whose cross through the crease found Foster on the back post for a calm finish.

“It was definitely a team effort and we just kept pushing ahead and working together,” Foster said. “My goal was basically all on the cross. Courtney did a great job getting it in. I credit my goal more to her than to me, but it felt good to score.”

Scoring continues to be a problem for Hinsdale Central, which seems to do everything right except finish, having been shut out nine times.

“We keep putting ourselves in position to be dangerous and it’s just that composure, that confidence in your ability and your faith in your teammates,” Hinsdale Central coach Michael Smith said. “We got in the final third and we rushed. We were trying to do it too quickly and then got nothing out of it. It was like that the entire game.”

York coach Kris Halupka could empathize with Smith.

“That’s the sport of soccer,” Halupka said. “I’ve been on the receiving end of that and today we were on the more advantageous side.

‘‘I’ve got to give it to Hinsdale Central. They came out and they played extremely aggressive.”

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