The University of Maine softball team goes into its offseason with the major challenge of how to generate more offense, a problem that popped up again in the Black Bears’ two shutout losses in last week’s America East tournament.

“We have to be more consistent offensively,” interim head coach Michelle Puls said. “The defense is there, the pitching is there.”

Then there’s the other big question: whether Puls will get to shed the interim tag in her job title.

Puls served as the head coach this year while Deb Smith took a leave of absence, which was announced at the end of a 2004 season in which Smith coached the Black Bears to the America East championship and a spot in the NCAA tournament. Puls was her assistant.

University of Maine athletic director Patrick Nero said Monday that Smith has decided to make her leave permanent for personal reasons and has moved out of the area.

“She put it to me in writing that she wanted to make her leave permanent,” he said. “Which is sad, because I love Deb. … I’ve love to have her back.”

Nero said he’ll sit down for a season review with Puls as he does with all UMaine coaches at the end of the season. Puls’ one-year contract expires June 30, as is the norm for all Maine coaches. He’ll make his decision at that time, he added.

“Michelle did a very good job this year,” Nero said. “The goal for all our teams is to get to that conference tournament.”

Nero isn’t sure yet if the school will conduct a search.

Puls, a Bangor native and former UMaine player, said she would “absolutely” return as the head coach.

“If the University wants me back, I would gladly come back,” she said. “Maine is where home is. It was my first year as the head coach. I made a lot of changes and now I know what worked and what didn’t so I can go into next year more organized.”

Maine finished with an overall 16-26 record and was seeded third for the America East tourney.

Regardless of who’s coaching the Bears, the team returns some of the top talent in the conference both offensively and defensively.

Maine’s top returning players include shortstop Brittany Cheney, pitcher Sarah Bennis and designated hitter-first baseman Amy Kuhl. All three were named to the all-conference team and will be seniors next year.

Cheney led the Bears with a .317 batting average and 20 RBIs, while Kuhl hit .250 with a team-high 10 doubles and 12 RBIs. Her .354 on-base percentage was second-best among regular players, mostly because she drew a team-best 17 walks.

Leftfielder Molly McKinney drove in 13 runs and second baseman Erin Provost had 11.

But the Bears hit just .225 as a team and scored 111 runs, the fewest in the conference. That came back to hurt them in the tournament in which they stranded a combined 18 runners in two tightly played, extra-inning losses.

“We left too many runners on base,” Puls said. “But we did a good job and we played in two of the best games of the tournament.”

Maine’s defense, which led the league in fielding percentage (.962), will have four regular starters back including Provost, Cheney, and first basemen Kristie Hawkins and Kuhl.

The main infield spots to fill will come at third base and catcher.

Frequent pinch runner Tara Vilardo got one America East tournament start at third for all-conference player Lauren Dulkis, who was injured during the tourney. Meagan Ramos also saw some time first base during the conference season.

Catcher Maggie Soule made 21 starts and was key while senior Lindsey Tibbetts missed a stretch of games due to an ankle sprain.

The Bears will miss all-conference center fielder Jess Brady’s defense and offense, but rightfielder Dana Grimm and McKinney will both be back.

Bennis will again be the staff ace next year. The first-team all-conference righthander had a league-high 140 strikeouts in 131 1/3 innings of work and posted a 1.87 earned run average to go with her 9-10 record.

“She’ll be even better next year and hopefully she’ll have an even better offense behind her,” Puls said.