The Palo Alto girls’ water polo team (2-2) kicked off the its regular season with a strong performance at the St. Francis Invitational this past weekend .

The Vikings opened play on Friday against Central Coast Section powerhouse Menlo Atherton which placed second in CCS last year.

Despite scoring first and going into the half tied at 2-2, Paly dropped a close 4-6 decision. The result surprised many as Menlo Atherton was considered a heavy favorite entering the match. Palo Alto closed the day with a 7-5 victory over Burlingame.

On Saturday, the Vikings lost a painful 4-5 sudden death overtime duel with league rival Los Gatos. Paly will have two more opportunities to avenge this loss in Santa Clara Valley Athletic League play.

The girls finished the day strong with a 4-2 victory over Rio Americano High School from Sacramento. Despite the losses, Palo Alto showed great progress in its close loss to perennial contender Menlo Atherton and looks to carry the momentum into SCVAL league play.

The Vikings begin league play 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Saratoga.