Following an appearance in the second round of Central Coast Section last year, the Palo Alto High School girls’ soccer team is looking for its core of veteran talent to carry it to another winning season.

After the loss of talented senior players to graduation such as midfielder Erika Hoglund, as well as attackers Maeve Stuart and Kelly Jenks, new leaders like senior keeper Alex Kershner in addition to senior midfielders Gracie Cain and Gracie Marshall are stepping up to lead the team.

With an experienced lineup comprised mainly of upperclassman, the team is looking to turn some heads, hoping to meet the expectations after a string of successful seasons.

“I think that this year the team is very equal and a lot of the players are very equal in skill,” head coach Ernesto Cruz said. “I think that the team will surprise a lot of people.”

“We have lost a couple key seniors from last year like Erika Hoglund and Kelly Jenks, but I think everyone has stepped up this year to try and make the team the strongest it can be,” junior midfielder Mayssen Labidi said.

Other players echoed Labidi’s statement.

“Last year we had a lot of superstars on the team, which was really nice,” junior midfielder Lily Seedman said. “This year we have some really amazing players, but all of us are a lot closer in the level we play.”

Cruz was hesitant to make a bold prediction proclaiming how well the team will play this year, hoping to surprise other teams, while at the same time acknowledging the need to take each game seriously. He maintained that the competition throughout the season is very strong and the Vikings couldn’t overlook any opponent.

“The league we play in is tough and each team is very good,” Cruz said. “We have to go game by game.”

The Vikings have adopted a new game-plan this season that emphasizes teamwork, defense and ball control.

“This season we are going to focus a lot on our team play and our possession,” junior defender Mira Ahmad said. “We want to play a really tight defense with good passing and a strong counter attack.”

According to Ahmad, the team has shown promise in its preseason games, going 5-0 against Willow Glen High School. The team looks forward to a successful season.

The Vikings will next play against Woodside Priory in the second round of the Paly Tournament at 6 p.m. next Thursday at Paly.