On April 22, the Newbury Park girls’ varsity lacrosse team wrapped up its 2026 spring season. Their overall record, including non-league games, was 13-6 with nine regular-season wins and only three losses. The team has been practicing to improve this season, not only on the field, but also off the field through team bonding and personal development.
A key contributor to the success of the team this season is Charlize Huber, junior. Huber’s 10-year lacrosse experience and leadership skills helped guide the team towards growth and success this season. With Huber’s experience playing attack, her primary role is to score and create offensive opportunities for the team. “I focus on scoring with plays and dodges, along with redefending if the attack loses the ball. I also take the draw on occasion, which is the start of the play on the field after each goal,” Huber said.
Since second grade, Maya Pantoja, senior, has demonstrated her versatility as a player, being able to play both attack and midfield. Reflecting on the season, Pantoja notes how much the team has been able to strengthen due to their hours of commitment to each other as a team. “Overall, this season the team has improved and grown so much with every game better than the last, as a result of the work we put in outside of games in practice and even team bonding has helped us connect on a deeper level, improving our work together and trust within games,” Pantoja said.
Having only begun playing lacrosse freshman year, Scarlet Cervantes, sophomore, quickly found a passion and her place on the team. Despite facing several obstacles and challenges within the team this year, the team has been able to persevere throughout the season. With injuries across any sports teams, it requires a positive mindset to persevere past the obstacles. “I think the most impactful thing our team has worked on is staying positive. Lacrosse, like any sport, is 80% about how you carry yourself and stay motivated when you feel tired,” Cervantes said.
Huber understands that success in the game of lacrosse goes beyond just physical skills, but also the mental aspect of the game. The game can be very intense with high pressure, so maintaining a composed mindset is not only essential as an individual but as a team. “In lacrosse, I have been taught to have a ‘goldfish mindset’ during games. It means that after mistakes happen on the field, instead of letting it get to my head, I will forget about it and go after the ball harder to make up for it,” Huber said.
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