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Record Setters

Ordiway nets Warren’s 102nd goal in 11-0 shutout

Times Observer Photo by Jay Young Warren’s Ella Ordiway kicks the ball during Thursday’s District 10 Region 3 girls soccer game against Maplewood at War Memorial Field.

Just eight minutes into Thursday evening’s District 10 Region 3 game against Maplewood, the Warren Dragons had already earned their fourth goal of the contest on a well-placed shot by Ella Ordiway.

That tally, part of an 11-0 shutout that lifts Warren to 13-0-0 on the year, was the Dragons’ record 102nd goal of the season, besting the previous mark of 101 from 2017.

Despite playing through a pandemic, it is clear that this year’s Dragons possess unprecedented scoring talent on the front lines and beyond.

“It has taken a while to get everything going without a proper camp, a preseason camp,” coach Jeremy Bickling said. “So now that we’ve had some reps and gotten the girls kind of synched and switched some positions they are really starting to gel and click. It’s easy for them to score. We’ve got senior leadership with Kyra (Wotorson) and Kyleigh (Wilson). They are really going after it, they realize that every game that we play is one less game they have in their career. So they are making the most of it.”

While Wotorson and Wilson have given opposing defenses fits all year, racking up staggering numbers along the way, it was perhaps fitting that Ordiway accounted for goal No. 102.

Despite being shifted to a holding midfielder position this season, on Thursday the sophomore showed that she has as much ability to put the ball in the net as anyone.

On her goal in the eighth minute, Ordiway picked up a loose ball that was cleared on a corner kick, electing to take an outside shot from 25 yards that found its way into the top of the opposite corner.

The Dragons earned their sixth goal when Ordiway elected to take a corner kick, sending that ball cleanly to open space on the back post where it was easy pickings for Wotorson.

The score grew to 8-0 when the sophomore paused near midfield, surveying her options, and fed Eliza Brook with a long pass that was finished off on the short side.

Three scoring plays offered three different ways that Ordiway can make opponents pay, and that is before even mentioning her defensive responsibilities.

“We moved Ella to holding midfielder, which gets to play both sides of the ball equally on defense as well as controlling the midfield and being able to start the attack for us,” Bickling said. “She’s a phenomenal talent and we are lucky to have her. She’s accepted the change, normally she is in a bit more of an attacking role up the field. We moved her back to holding and she has really locked things down for us.”

See RECORD / Page B2

“That midfield control is critical to us. Georgie (Bickling) does a great job attacking up the field, but that leaves us susceptible to being played through if we get countered,” Bickling added. “So Ella and Lauren (Andersen) do a fantastic job. She was the one who broke the record so, congratulations to her, she did great.”

Just like her twin brother Parks, who is in the midst of his own dominant season for Warren boys soccer, Ordiway will have two more seasons to build on an already impressive resume.

“They are twins, just great athletes. They play multiple sports so they have an understanding (athletically), and just super talent. Ella is one of the best with the ball at her feet that we have on the team,” Bickling said.

Wilson and Wotorson would each notch hat tricks, in addition to one and four assists, respectively.

Bickling would add two goals and three assists, while Brook would add a pair of goals in the win.

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