Unfortunately for the Charleston-based team, the downs have greatly outnumbered the ups, but three matches into the 2011 season, it appears the Chaos might finally be ready to take a step forward in the Premier Development League.

West Virginia enters Saturday night's home contest against Virginia Beach with a 2-1 record, and tied with the Real Maryland Monarchs atop the league's South Atlantic Division.

The match is scheduled for a 7:30 start, at Coonskin Park's Schoenbaum Stadium.

For Chaos Player-Coach Adam Mitchell, his team's quick start is a welcome change from an agonizingly slow beginning to last season's 6-9-1 campaign.

"When you get off to a really good start, you give yourself half a chance," said Mitchell, in his fourth season as a player, and second as coach. "If you have to wait four, five, maybe six games to get a good result, like we did last year, you start getting nervous and you start wondering if you're saying or doing the right things.

"It can make you begin to doubt yourself."

Mitchell credits a solid nucleus of returning players for the early season turnaround.

"We returned 11 or 12 guys from last year's team, so instead of starting a new season with new players that don't know each other, these guys have actually known each other from Day 1," Mitchell said. "So they came into the first practice, first and foremost, knowing each other's names. That's big for us because the season's only a 16-game season.

"Last year, it took us four or five games to get results, because it took the guys that long to get to know each other and how each of them play the game.

"That's the main reason we've gotten off to a good start this time around. Things are looking up, fingers crossed."

University of Charleston goalkeeper Sean Teepen has been instrumental in the team's start, having allowed only three goals in three matches, while recording 10 saves and one shutout.

"I decided to take him on board at the end of last season," said Mitchell of Teepen, a Cincinnati native. "I know Sean personally, and I know his coach (Chad Duernberger). He's a big guy, but he's still young with a lot to learn.

"His presence in the goal is intimidating. He's 6-foot-5, and he is very intimidating for strikers. He fills a lot of area in the goal, and he's very good in one-on-one situations as well.

"That just takes the pressure off the whole team. He's going to make a mistake. If he doesn't make a mistake in a 16-game season, you'll know what a great goalkeeper he is," Mitchell said jokingly. "In an ideal world, I can't see him going through the season without making a mistake, but he's done a great job for us."

Two other UC players are making their marks on the team as well, with England native Midfielder Rob Vincent leading the way with two goals and two assists.

Vincent current is tied for third in scoring in the PDL with six points.

Striker and UC teammate Dion Peters, a Trinidad native, is tied with Vincent for fourth place in the PDL with two assists.

"We want to try to make this (Schoenbaum Stadium) a fortress where other teams hate coming to Charleston, W.Va.," Mitchell said. "I want them to know that when they come here, there's going to be a game and a tough time on the road for them when they visit us.

"We play a half at a time. We don't play a game or a season at a time. We try to play 45 minutes at a time. We play the first half, come in at the break and see what we've got going on. We regroup at halftime, we sort our problems out, and we go out for another 45 minutes.

"Winning is a habit just like losing is. It's my job to try to work things out. I take it as a personal challenge to myself to try to improve on last season.

"We finished 6-9-1 last season, so it's a personal thing for me to try to beat last season's record. I know it sounds silly, but I try to compete with myself.  That's what I do."