One of the first things 11th-year head coach Jim Dyer and his University of Maine men’s soccer team did upon the start of preseason training camp in Orono this past weekend was set a short-term goal:

Score more goals.

The next thing the team did was set a long-term goal:

See short-term goal and repeat. Often.

If repeated often enough, Maine believes it should improve on last year’s 6-6-4 overall record and disappointing sixth-place finish in the North Atlantic Conference and return to the top 10 Division I rankings in New England, not to mention vie for the NAC title and its attendant automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

“We’ve always been pretty solid defensively,” said Dyer, who welcomed 23 players to camp, including 11 lettermen. “Defense has been the earmark of our team. We’ve always struggled a bit to score goals. One of our aims is to increase our scoring opportunities and tally more goals.”

On paper, it shouldn’t be too hard for Maine to score more goals than last season. The Bears managed only 20 goals in 16 games. If not for a defense that gave up only 15 goals, the season would have been a disaster.

But on second glance, increasing scoring chances could be tough. Seven seniors, who tallied 38 of Maine’s 59 points (goals plus assists), graduated, leaving a nucleus of mostly unproven veterans and untested freshmen.

Dyer prefers to see the big changeover in personnel as an opportunity, rather than an obstacle.

“It’s a team with a new personality. The Gary Crompton-Todd Sniper-Peter Gardula era is finished. Now this team has its own identity. It’s a new era,” said Dyer, who owns a career record of 88-73-16.

If there is a new approach to be taken in upgrading Maine’s scoring punch, Dyer said it has to begin between the players’ ears.

“I think it’s a bit of an attitude in terms of players wanting to get forward with the ball and get into attacking positions. It’s a bit of ability as well, and we’re hoping some of our new guys come through in that regard,” he said.

Ah yes, the new guys. Maine has eight freshmen in camp, representing four states, two Canadian provinces and a bit of Ireland.

Dyer thinks at least two of the frosh – midfielder Michael Dunphy of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and forward Jake Ouimet of Hatfield, Mass. – will have an immediate impact on the offense. Dunphy scored 20 goals as a high school senior and was a member of the Canadian under-20 National Team player pool. Ouimet starred at Suffield Academy Prep after a prolific career at Northfield-Mount Hermon.

“Those two guys look good as attacking players,” Dyer said.

The two newcomers, along with top returning scorers in sophomore midfielder Paolo Nunes of Union, N.J. (5 goals, 1 assist) and senior midfielder and co-captain Pat Laughlin of Arlington, Texas (2 goals, 4 assists) should give the Bears an offensive spark to blow on. Senior midfielder Tim Dean of Plano, Texas is also looking strong.

Still, the strength of the team lies in goalie Seb D’Appolonia. The junior co-captain from Pittsburgh, Pa., led all Division I net-minders with an 0.82 goals against average last year.

Freshman backs Conor Ward of Waterloo, Ontario, by way of Ireland, and Paul Kelly of Springfield, Mass., should bolster the senior trio of Peter Ellef of Avon, Conn., James Berg of Rockaway, N.J., and Mike Camelo of Bristol, R.I.

Maine will scrimmage the University of New England Thursday before visiting perennial national Div. I power Connecticut for a scrimmage Sunday. The Bears open the season Sept. 9 at home against Husson.

The Schedule: Sept. 9 Husson Sept. 13 at Rhode Island Sept. 18 at Northeastern Sept. 20 at Boston U. Sept. 25 Drexel Sept. 27 Delaware Sept. 30 Thomas Oct. 4 Brown Oct. 10 Vermont Oct. 13 Harvard Oct. 16 at Holy Cross Oct. 18 at Hartford Oct. 21 Dartmouth Oct. 25 at New Hampshire Oct. 28 Central Conn. Nov. 1 UMass Nov. 7-8 NAC Playoffs