With a young and inexperienced team, Hampton began the soccer season with most positions unsettled or being decided by committee over the first few games of the season.

Many of the starters earned their jobs in a season-opening 1-0 win over North Allegheny on Saturday. It was the first time the Talbots had beaten their former section rivals since they dropped to Class AA three years ago.

"Going into the season, we had different positions by committee," Hampton coach Chuck Kelley said. "That is the benefit of having a young team. There are no egos and there is definitely a shared responsibility that they all just want to win.

"For a lot of the players, it's up in the air where they are going to play, but I am looking for some of the seniors to step up."

Hampton went 13-8-1 and advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals last season. The Talbots lost their regular-season finale, a game against Mars Area, that decided the Section 2-AA title. They were ranked No. 10 in the Post-Gazette preseason poll.

One of the few players returning with any game experience, Rob Bosilovic, is starting at forward and assisted fellow forward Tyler Kurkiewicz on the lone goal in the season-opening victory against North Allegheny.

Bosilovic is one of six seniors on this year's team. Kurkiewicz, a sophomore, was a late-game substitute whom Kelley brought in on a "gut feeling."

"The teams we play from Class AAA are teams that used to be in our section," Kelley said. "It's important that we do well in those games to measure us against all the competition.

"It feels good to win the first game and a lot of the guys from NA and Hampton play together [in the offseason] and it makes for a good rivalry."

Four defenders who will see most of the playing time are Zach Carter, a returning starter, Keith Pekley, Nathan Sobotka and Ryan Dunne. In net, John Luchina and Ben Wilt will continue to split time after sharing goalie responsibilities last year.

"They both have similar qualities and we're going to use them both right now. It's pretty even and at this point; it's difficult to say which one is better. They have both worked really hard," Kelley said.

In the midfield returning starter Chris Hunkele will start with Eric Donatelli, Matt McCawley and Zach Mancini.

"We are going to rely more or less on character this year," Kelley said.

"They have to play as a team because the starters from last year are gone and this year it is up to these guys. They have known from the end of last season that they have had to work hard.

"It's not about style points; it's about grinding out games and being on the right side of the win-loss column."

Hampton plays host to Knoch tonight at 7:30. Last season Knoch gave Hampton one of its only two section losses. Knoch finished third in the section last year behind Hampton.

"This first week has not been an easy week," said Kelley whose team defeated/lost to Mars Area on Tuesday.

"We are going to have to take it one game at a time and so far the players have answered."