For the past three seasons, Carlsbad High School has been ascending the ranks of girls lacrosse.
After claiming back-to-back CIF San Diego Section Division 1 titles in 2024 and 2025, the Lancers believe they should be squarely in the conversation for an Open Division playoff spot in 2026.
Carlsbad continued to play like an Open Division quality team on Wednesday night, trouncing host La Jolla Country Day 16-3 to improve to 6-3 on the young season.
“Our goal is to win it all, but we know we have a ton of good competition out there,” said Carlsbad coach James Magill. “We’re really working hard here in the preseason to get ready for those league games, and we’re gonna be ready to rock and roll when the time comes.”
The opening minutes of Wednesday’s match were controlled by the Torreys after a pair of earlygoals from Evangeline Nadi helped LJCD grab a 3-1 advantage with 4:48 to play in the firstquarter.
That lead would prove to be short-lived.
The visiting Lancers managed to draw things level at 3-3 by the end of the first quarter, after two late scores, including two short-range finishes by Ella Avery and Kylea Keefe.
Carlsbad’s late first-quarter surge became an inferno in the second, with the Lancers going on a 5-0 run over the final 12 minutes of the half to take an 8-3 lead. Of the five goals scored in the second quarter, three of them came courtesy of senior captain Layla Munoz.
“We started off slow, but I feel like as a captain it is our duty to keep the tempo up,” Munoz said. “So in my mind I knew I needed to step up and start scoring goals.”
Carlsbad’s Layla Munoz looks to pass against La Jolla Country Day’s Evy Nadi at La Jolla Country Day High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
In the third quarter, the Lancers continued to showcase their offensive versatility. During the third quarter, in which they outscored La Jolla Country Day 6-0, the Lancers had four different players loggoals. That included two scores in the final 3:40 from senior captain Heidi Duralde, making it a 14-3game by quarter’s end.
Eight different Carlsbad players scored at least one goal.
“I think one of the highlights of this team is that we don’t just have one superstar; we can rely on each other. We’re never just looking for one person,” said Duralde.
The Torreys have logged 15 or more goals in six matches this season.
“We just have to treat every game like it’s that championship game,” Dualde said. “Just hustle every play and take every opportunity seriously.”