CHS Girls Lacrosse wins back-to-back CIF-San Diego Open Division titles

SAN DIEGO – More than half way through the third quarter, the Coronado Islanders girls lacrosse team was losing to the La Costa Canyon Mavericks, 9-8. The Mavericks had just scored two unanswered goals in under two minutes and the Islanders’ dream of back-to-back CIF San Diego Open Division championships felt fragile.

Then Sydney Dunn scored on an assist from Maria Anaya to tie it.

Next came the sequence that changed the course of the final.

With La Costa Canyon driving toward the goal, Islander Avery Hunter stole the ball with less than 20 seconds remaining in the third. A quick pass. And then Breck Dunn, who had already been everywhere all night, caught the ball and buried it at the buzzer; 10-9, Coronado. The Islander crowd erupted, and from there, Coronado didn’t look back.

Sophomore Siena Kiefer scored three minutes into the fourth quarter to make it 11-9, then added another on a Maverick penalty at the 7:46 mark to push the lead and final score to 12-9. Coronado held for the final 7:46, defending with grit and smarts, and walked off the field as back-to-back CIF San Diego Open Division champions.

This final was not supposed to be easy, and it wasn’t. Coronado and La Costa Canyon were the top two seeds, and both had cruised through the semifinals. Coronado had already beaten La Costa Canyon 12-6 on April 28. But Saturday evening was different.

La Costa Canyon scored first, less than four minutes in, and the lead changed hands multiple times throughout what became a breathless, back-and-forth contest. By the end of the first quarter, it was 3-3. The second quarter ended with dramatic flair, tied at 7-7. La Costa Canyon scored with 36 seconds left to grab the lead only for Islander Maria Anaya to answer 17 seconds later and send the teams into the break tied.

That’s two ties in the final minute of the first half alone.

The third quarter brought more of the same. Breck Dunn broke the tie 25 seconds in for the Islanders to go up 8-7, only for the Mavericks to tie it again at 8-8 within 90 seconds. La Costa Canyon then went ahead 9-8, before Anaya assisted Sydney Dunn to tie it again at 9-9 with 5:17 left.

Then the steal.

Breck Dunn was extraordinary, finishing with four goals and several key assists, including the final go-ahead goal at the third-quarter buzzer. Maria Anaya was just as critical, scoring three goals and consistently providing the Islanders with timely answers when La Costa Canyon threatened to pull away. Senior goalie Emma Terry made save after save throughout the night, keeping Coronado alive in moments when a Maverick run could have broken the game open. Seniors Sydney Dunn and Grace Elardo each added a goal.

But the story of the fourth quarter belongs to Kiefer. The sophomore, playing in the biggest game of her young career, wasn’t fazed.

“It was kind of just off the heat of the game,” she said afterward. “A lot of my [club] teammates are on the other team… That was my goalie … all throughout club. I was like, I gotta bury it on her.”

And she did. Three times on the night, including twice within 66 seconds in the fourth quarter.

When asked what it meant to win two consecutive Open Division titles, Kiefer shared, “It feels so good coming into this program and then just winning two Open Division Championships… It’s just a great feeling.”

Winning a CIF San Diego Open Division championship is among the most difficult feats in high school sports. The Open Division brings together the very best programs across all of San Diego County. There are no easy brackets, no favorable matchups.

Coronado reached the Open Division final in 2024. They won it in 2025. And on Saturday night, in a game that was tied six times, they won it again.

“It was the hardest game we’ve had all season, and I’m just really glad the girls found their courage and stepped up and played to the best of their ability,” said head coach Jada Cade. “I think it shows that they can really handle pressure… With all the training that they put in, in big moments they know how to step up.”

Assistant coach Kayla Harris, a Naval Academy lacrosse alumna in her first year with the program, saw the four unanswered goals that stretched from the end of the third to the beginning of the fourth quarter as the moment that defined Coronado’s character.

“I do think that just shows the grit, the athleticism, their ability to perform under pressure,” said Harris. “[La Costa Canyon] is fast and strong, so that’s not an easy task.”

For a program that has now won back-to-back Open Division titles and reached three consecutive finals, the standard is set. On this night, the coaches and athletes were reminded just how hard it is to win one, let alone two.