Having moved from the El Camino League back up to the more competitive De Anza League, the Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity soccer team lost its second game of the season Thursday to the Menlo-Atherton Bears with a final score of 2-1.

The game’s defining moment fell in the second half, when the Bears were awarded a penalty kick after a Paly player fouled her within the Vikings’ penalty box. Menlo-Atherton sunk the ball into the back of the net, bringing the score up to 2-1 after the first half ended in a 1-1 tie.

Menlo-Atherton scored its first goal within 15 minutes of the start of the game, but Paly sophomore forward Nika Woodfill brought the game back to a tie moments later, sliding the ball past the Bears’ goalie. However, the Lady Vikes were unable to do the same in the second half.

Senior defender Julia Kwasnick complimented Woodfill on her performance throughout the game.

“Nika did a really good job,” Kwasnick said. “She’s really coming up to the occasion.”

The team played with more energy in the first half, according to senior co-captain Sunny Lyu.

“I thought the first half was a little better because in the second half I think we got a little bit tired,” Lyu said.

Other Vikings, including junior midfielders Aoi Sugihara and Katie Foug, attempted shots but were unsuccessful in scoring.

According to Lyu, the game was full of missed scoring opportunities for the Vikings, which they plan to work on.

“I think that this teaches us that no matter how well we play, it really is a matter of scoring,” Lyu said. “So from this game, we will work on finishing and look to score more.”

Last season, the team won the El Camino League, with a final record of 9-2-1, resulting in its promotion back to the De Anza League, which it had left after a poor 2011-2012 season. Despite this recent transition to a more competitive league, Lyu had expected a win against Menlo-Atherton.

“For me it was a big game because it was our first real game of the season,” Lyu said. “Going into the game I was truly expecting a win from us so it’s a bit disappointing that we didn’t get that.”

Still, Lyu said she believes the team played to the best of its abilities.

“I thought that in terms of the way we played we performed to our standards,” Lyu said. “In that sense we did well, but again we should have won.”

Kwasnick echoed Lyu’s sentiments.

“I’m really disappointed that we lost but I’m glad that people played with high intensity and that we were playing pretty well,” Kwasnick said, “although losing is terrible.”

The team will have its next game at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Menlo School against the Knights.