Not even two weeks into the WPIAL boys' soccer season, the Shaler Area Titans were fast approaching their win total in any of the previous three campaigns.

Shaler was 4-1-1 after a 2-0 win against North Allegheny Thursday before playing host to Seneca Valley last night. The Titans went 6-10-2 last season, 5-12 the year before that and 7-10-2 in 2006.

The records have made for somewhat of an unfulfilling career for the team's seniors ... until now.

"I think last year's team worked hard but had some attitude problems," said senior Steve Hamilton, a team co-captain. "This year I think everyone has stepped up their game, focused a lot and trained hard in the preseason.

"Everyone's pushing each other, the younger kids are pushing the older kids if they're not working hard in practice. The team bonding is a little better. There's been solid work from every person on the team, no matter their role."

Since going 19-2-1 in 2003-04, Shaler has had only one winning season (10-8-1 in 2005) and one playoff appearance. But in the second season of the coaching tenure of James Meara, the Titans are threatening to make a run.

Shaler had outscored its opponents, 20-6, through six games heading into last night's contest.

"We're delighted with the start, but we're trying to stay levelheaded," Meara said. "There's still a lot of work to be done, but we're delighted so far."

Seven starters return from last season, and with so many younger players getting so much playing time last season, the experience has helped. So has having a full year with the new coaches under their belt. Meara said the players worked on their games with the coaching staff over the offseason.

It's still early in the season, but the returns thus far have been overwhelmingly positive.

"This is some of the best soccer I've seen played in my seven years in Pittsburgh," Meara said.

"The whole team, we're scoring goals from everywhere. Goals are coming from everyone. Once that happens, even if one of your big guys is not having a great night, you can be confident there are other people who will be scoring goals, so that's a big plus for us this year."

Among the primary sources of offense in the balanced Shaler attack is senior co-captain Corey Casper, the team's top striker. Hamilton leads the team in goals from the midfield.

"He's one of the best players in Western Pennsylvania right now," Meara said.

It's also fair to say that about goalkeeper Craig Feehan ... and then some. Not only is he one of the WPIAL's best goalies, Feehan is part of the U.S. Olympic Development Program and had a 10-day trial with the Queens Park Rangers, a professional team in Europe.

"He's gotten rave reviews wherever he's gone from all the coaches who have seen him," Meara said.

"It means a lot to have a standout goalie, especially after he's gotten some professional coaching to put to use in high school," Hamilton said. "He's always communicating with the defense and if they maybe make a misstep, he'll tell them what they did wrong.

"That helps the team, but mostly it's just good to see that person defending our goal -- the last line of defense -- doing his job."

Another senior, center defender Eric Hackworth, also has provided scoring. Also on defense is another senior co-captain, Ryan Griffin.

Other starters for the Titans include sophomore defenders Roman Benty and Brennan Reynolds, juniors Wayne Harms and Billy Pfeil and sophomore Craig Tuit as midfielders and junior Brian Hanna at forward.

Meara is reluctant to allow his players any room for complacency, so he isn't looking ahead when it's still so early in the season. But the program hasn't won a postseason game -- let alone a section title -- in six years, and he has a feeling this could be a season in which the program breaks through for a deep playoff run.

"I think we have a very good chance," Hamilton said. "Everyone on the team wants to get real far. If we have our mind-set right for every single game, as we have so far, we'll definitely go far and win the section [title]."

After some lean seasons, Shaler finds the winning touch, contends for section title