Lacrosse team has high hopes for season

Lacrosse team has high hopes for season

By Hector Trujillo

The Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) women’s lacrosse team is looking to close out the second half of the season strong and bounce back from a lackluster 2025 that saw it finish with a losing record.

“We have strong returners in each position,” said head coach Michele Uhlfelder. “Tryouts were done about a week before the first game. I think we did really well transitioning from practice and tryouts to the first match of the season.”

The Lady Falcons started off winning back to back games with dominating victories over Mt. Carmel High and Westview High by a combined 31-12 scoreline before suffering a 13-2 defeat to La Costa Canyon High on March 3.

“We definitely have a lot of senior leadership,” Uhlfelder said. “Hopefully, this experience will help us in some stretches that are tougher and also bring the younger kids along as well.”

Scripps Ranch High bounced back with an impressive 16-3 win against Canyon Crest Academy on March 5, but fell in a hard-fought match on March 9 to Torrey Pines High by a score of 14-11.

The Lady Falcons then regained their form with a 14-10 victory over The Bishop’s School the following day.

“Each game has been different, and we’ve been working on things within the game while trying to get our execution down,” Uhlfelder said.

Scripps Ranch High former players Ella Brislin and Mara Zajac joined the coaching staff this season as well. In 2025 Brislin started 15 of 16 games for the UC Davis Aggies, scoring 13 goals and adding four assists. Zajac helped lead Scripps Ranch High to a CIF San Diego Section Open Division title in 2019 and made the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll as a senior playing for the University of Oregon in 2024.

Of the eight games remaining on the schedule, three are at home and five are on the road, including the upcoming meeting against Coronado High on March 26. The Lady Falcons then travel to take on San Marcos High on April 7 before returning home for a meeting against La Jolla High on April 9.

The regular season finale is on April 30 on the road versus Patrick Henry High School.

Among the standout performers this season are seniors McKenna Durkin, Mika Bachnard and Brynn Wisebrock along with sophomore Ava Pavlik. A notable freshman is Simi Wimmer. Two players with “heart and  hustle” are Natalia da Silva and Danielle Merrigan.