The soccer pitch is where Ottawa senior Jorge Lopez says he feels most at peace, which is ironic given how much chaos he created for opposing defenses over the past four seasons.

“I’ve been playing soccer since I was 5 or 6 years old,” Lopez said. “I was always playing soccer with my cousins; we played every day. I think when I started playing in middle school is when I really started working hard to get better. I was running in the mornings and working on my skills anytime I could.

“When I’m playing soccer, I’m at peace. I just love it.”

Lopez scored 12 goals and had two assists for the Pirates from his striker spot this past season. Dangerous with the ball at his feet and possessing a wicked shot with either leg or on an aerial attack within the penalty box, he finished his career with 50 total goals. He was named to the Interstate 8 All-Conference team and was also a Times All-Area first-team selection as a sophomore and junior.

For all his accomplishments and leadership, Lopez is named The Times Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

“The one thing I always wanted to be able to do was to shoot the ball with power. I wanted to be able to kick the ball fast and hard, but also be accurate. I feel like over the years I’ve been able to really improve on that part of my game.

“I don’t feel like I’m a selfish player. I’ll pass to an open teammate, but I love scoring goals. If I have a chance to shoot, I’m going to shoot. I’m confident in myself and feel if I have a chance to score for my team, I’m going to try and do that.

“I’m a striker. My job is to score goals, and I just wanted to do my job.”

During this past season, Lopez posted two-goal matches in Ottawa wins over Princeton, Illinois Valley Central and Serena. But his best memory looking over his final season in a Pirates uniform was in a match where he didn’t find the back of the net.

“The Rochelle match here at home is my best memory this season,” said Lopez of the Sept. 9 Interstate 8 Conference opener. “We played hard, and we played well. They are a very good team, and they were ahead, but we came back to take the lead with like 15 minutes left. From there, we just played really good, smart defense and were able to hold on to the lead until the end.

“It was a great team win. We showed we could play very good soccer when we did all of the things we were supposed to do. It was one of the best matches we played all season and the one I’m most proud of. We never gave up and just kept fighting.”

Ottawa coach Kevin Olesen said Lopez, while being counted on for scoring, also would do anything to help the team be successful. He said that he never counted out Lopez turning what looked to be a tough situation into a bright moment.

“Jorge has been a solid player for us all four years, and he is going to be tough to replace,” Olesen said. “He is such a versatile player, and we needed him to fill different or greater roles over the course of the season, because in certain situations it gave us a competitive advantage. He was solid in whatever role we asked him to play.

“For the most part, Jorge’s goals were of the spectacular variety. He had the ability on set pieces or corner kick plays to find space, even though every opponent we played knew he was going to be in the mix, and then just soar above everyone else for a header. His timing was unbelievable. He is a player where the situation doesn’t look positive, but then Jorge would make something out of nothing and create a great chance or score despite of it.

“He was a great leader and motivator, someone that made his teammates better and someone who gave it everything he had every minute he was on the field.”

Lopez said he’s hoping to continue playing the sport he treasures at the next level.

“I’d like to play in college, but nothing is set yet,” Lopez said. “I just want to keep playing soccer as long as I can.”