After a rough start, girls varsity soccer fought back and tied Los Gatos High School 2-2 on Jan. 15. 

Junior and team captain Mabel McCarter said her team played well defensively throughout the game. 

“I think it was a really strong performance, and we learned a lot from that game,” McCarter said. “We knew Gatos was going to be one of the best teams in the league, so I’m happy with how we played.” 

Los Gatos led 2-0 near the end of the first half,e, but Paly scored a goal right before halftime and a second during the second half. 

Head Coach Jeremy Romero said as the game progressed, the team continued to push harder and demand more from themselves, ultimately leading to the tie. 

“I thought they played great,” Romero said. “The moment we got our first goal, you would see it just fed energy to everyone. Everyone just started doing what they needed to do and focusing on their job, and we ended up scoring another goal.” 

Freshman Paulina Dubey said the team rose to the occasion, knowing Los Gatos was one of the stronger teams in their league. 

“We knew that if we played to our full potential, we could beat them,” Dubey said. “I’m fine with the tie for now, knowing the strength of their team.”

Junior Ellie Knott said she is looking forward to the rest of the season and is excited to see where it will take the team. 

“I’m really hoping we make it into CCS, and can show that we can play stronger teams,” Knott said. “If we work hard the rest of the season, it’s definitely possible.”

The team faces off against Mountain View in an away game on Jan 20.