PITTSBURGH — Finding something in common with his teammates on the Pittsburgh Central Catholic boys soccer team didn’t take long for Austin Palmer.

Several of them were within walking distance.

Matt Lenhart lives in the same neighborhood he does in Treesdale.

Matt O’Donnell, a Mars resident, and Palmer went to elementary school together.

“There’s a strong bond. That’s why I decided to go to Central,” said Palmer, who is a senior midfielder. “A lot of guys I knew ended up coming here. ... That made the transition a lot easier, a common love for the sport.”

Seven Butler County residents are contributing for the Vikings (9-0, 6-0), who are sitting atop Section 4-AAA.

Senior defenseman Ben Patry and sophomore Sam Patry are Cranberry Township residents.

Senior defenseman Logan Kopchak and junior defenseman Robert Mitchell are both from Treesdale.

Central Catholic has outscored its opponents 39-1 this season.

The Vikings are a veteran team and feature nine seniors on the roster.

“We’ve had four or five seniors that have played since freshman year,” Vikings coach Claudio Morini said. “They have contributed 80 percent to the success of the team.”

O’Donnell, a senior midfielder, and Palmer are tasked by Morini to control the midfield.

For Palmer, it’s a perfect pairing.

He stays back and focuses on defense, while O’Donnell moves forward.

“That’s the yin and yang that makes it work so well,” Palmer said. “Our biggest responsibility in the midfield is controlling it. If you control the midfield, you control the whole field.”

O’Donnell has taken advantage of his opportunities.

He’s scored 11 goals.

“It’s nothing I do personally,” O’Donnell said. “The team trusts the decisions I make as a player.”

The Vikings put a major focus on fitness.

Central Catholic starts in the summer and doesn’t really slow down when the school year starts.

“In the summer we did a lot of running and a lot of fitness,” Palmer said. “Once we all got in shape, we didn’t just stop there, we maintain our fitness by running before practice every day.”

Defensively, the Vikings only allowed a goal to Bethel Park in a 2-1 win.

“We work on our defensive shape a lot. The main drill is our shape drill, we do it 10 or 14 minutes and have it down before every game,” O’Donnell said. “We make sure everyone knows their positions and does their job. Everyone has to have faith in the guy next to them.”

The Vikings’ hot start has Palmer thinking big.

He would like Central Catholic to at least make the WPIAL finals.

Last season, the Vikings bowed out with a 2-1 loss in the quarterfinals to Bethel Park.

“I think this year’s team is a little more ruthless and has the mindset that we won’t accept losing,” Palmer said. “We very well may lose, but we have the mindset that won’t let it happen.”