The Paly varsity girls soccer team beat their rivals, Gunn high school 2-1 in an intense soccer match last Friday.

The Vikings have an overall 2-3-2 record and their opponents, the Gunn Titans have an overall 5-4-2 record this season.

Leading up to the game, the team was nervous, but excited, “the energy going into it was super exciting because it was Gunn, our rival school,” sophomore Devin Teper said.

According to Teper, the rivalry is more than just a tradition between the two schools, it is personal because players from both teams know each other outside of school, “I felt excited to go into the game because I knew some of the girls at Gunn,” Teper said.

Teper explained that despite their nerves, the team played well, with good passing, and a supportive and fun environment.

Paly’s two goals were scored by sophomore, Nava Schwarzbach, and senior, Polina Van Hulsen, “Nava had a good finish and so did Polina,” Teper said.

Despite the win, Teper explained that the team could improve on keeping energy high and putting in maximum effort, even when they are winning.

When the team experiences dips in energy, the team captains, senior Ella Hwang, and senior Polina Van Hulsen help uplift the team, “Shoutout to Ella and Polina, they help us a lot and guide us through stuff,” Teper said.

This was the first time the team has played Gunn this year, and they are scheduled to rematch at Gunn on February 7th.

Overall, this time the Paly Vikings defeated their opponents, the Gunn Titans in this esteemed age-old rivalry.