Thursday evening, the Paly girls water polo team shut out Menlo-Atherton by a score of 4-0. 

With strong defense and some aggressive plays offensively, Paly girls were able to get their season off to a strong start with a rewarding win at home. Non-league team Menlo Atherton has typically been a strong team, so this game proved a test to the Paly girls early on in the season. 

“This game really set the pace for the season and it was great to see how well the team was working together to get the win. In the past, we’ve had a tough time beating MA, but I’m pretty confident in our ability for the rest of the season now that we were able to take on such a hard team,” junior captain Eliza Gaither said. 

The Vikings got off to a great start, with junior Grace Gormley lighting it up offensively, scoring a quick goal in the first half.

Another offensive stalwart was senior captain Sam Lee, a star player throughout previous seasons, who scored two more goals for the Vikings in the second half.

However, this powerful offense was not possible without the incredible defensive performance and team chemistry between team members. 

“​​We came out with very strong defense and communication and it continued throughout the game and the execution was all there,” senior Paige Henry said. 

The three goals weren’t satisfactory for the Vikings, though. Coming through in the last few seconds, freshman Fallon Porter scored her first varsity goal.