Girls Soccer: Christina Ordonez tallies two goals as York rolls past Downers South

Updated: May 10, 2012 10:52PM

Christina Ordonez scored her 31st and 32nd goals in the first half as visiting York rolled to a 5-0 victory over Downers Grove South Thursday night in a matchup of two teams that head into the playoffs with high hopes.

Bryce Banuelos, Courtney McHugh and Sarah Sasanelli added second-half goals for the Dukes (18-4), who have won nine straight matches, all by shutout. Downers South (14-5-3) came into the game having won seven straight games without giving up a goal, but the Mustangs opted to rest six starters, including senior stars Sarrah Ludwig, Jessica Bronke, Jessica Pikul and Flo Beshiri, for the playoffs.

“I think this game definitely boosts our confidence,” said the Michigan-bound Ordonez, who upped her career goal total to 113. “Obviously, we know that they weren’t playing all their starters, but regardless, we’re going to come out and play our hardest and try to win.”

While Downers South, which has battled injuries all spring, opted to rest its top players, York coach Chris Halupka chose to play his starters throughout, as he has done all year.

“When it comes down the playoffs, you are protecting your players a little bit because you don’t want them to get injured, but at the same time you have to stick with routines and what works,” Halupka said. “The next game is not until Tuesday, so I look at it a little differently and I say, look, it’s just another game, so do what you do every time you step on the field. I like that routine.

“But in the big picture I think we did a good job of moving the ball. I like the way our midfielders were connecting with our forwards, especially.”

The Dukes outshot the Mustangs 32-4, with goalie Anna Bell Lansdowne having to make three saves in recording her 11th shutout in the past 12 games and 15th overall.

The match was the final regular season contest — and perhaps the final home game — for Downers South coach Barry Jacobson, who has announced he will retire at the end of the season.

Jacobson, who started Downers South’s program in 1984, is the state’s all-time winningest girls soccer coach with 483 victories. He has held the record since 2004, when he surpassed the old mark of 339 set by former Naperville North coach Al Harris.

“We had to do what was best for our family,” said Jacobson, a Naperville resident who has two children, the oldest of which is a freshman in high school. “It’s been a long time and the time was right to move on and do some other things.”

The retirement of Jacobson, who has a record of 483-142-58 in 29 seasons and also won 99 games as Downers South’s boys coach from 1986-93, only adds to the desire of the Mustangs, who could play York again in the semifinals of the Class 3A Downers South Sectional on May 22.

“All the girls…once he announced his retirement, we literally all turned to each other and we were like, ‘We’re going to state,’’ said Pikul, the team’s star sweeper. “It’s sort of a thing that’s personal, just honoring him and all of his years with us and all of his time and effort he’s put into our team.

“The man’s done a lot…so part of our driving motivation for state, other than just personal pride, is honoring him and trying to make his last year the best we can make it.”

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