Utica’s new professional indoor soccer team wants to hit the ground running in their first season.

Utica City FC — the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) squad that relocated from Syracuse in June – is aiming high following a campaign that includes the team’s best mark in seven seasons and a playoff appearance.

“First and foremost, we want to win the (Eastern Conference Eastern) Division,” said Ryan Hall, who was named Utica’s coach in July after leading the team to a 13-9 record last season in Syracuse. “From Day 1, the goal we had on our whiteboard is to win the division.”

That quest – and deep postseason run hopes — begin this weekend when the team opens the regular season Saturday night at division opponent Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. Utica plays its inaugural home game – on striking blue turf and in recently released black and blue jerseys – against divisional rival and defending champion Baltimore. The game – the first of two meetings against Baltimore in the first week of the season — is set for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Adirondack Bank Center at Utica Memorial Auditorium.

“(Baltimore) is one of the best teams in the MASL,” said Bo Jelovac, who was named team captain this week after serving in the same role with Syracuse from 2015 to last season. “This year, we’re going to be ready to go against them.”

Utica – which returns nine players from last year’s successful Syracuse team – has recently been practicing in Baldwinsville for the 24-game MASL regular season. The Eastern Division also includes Mississauga (Ontario).

“We’re looking forward to getting going,” said Jelovac, a veteran defender from Serbia who has 58 goals in 124 games with Syracuse. “We all know each other. There’s unity. We’re all on the same page.”

Twenty-two-year-old midfielder/forward Mohamed Kenawy is among a handful of new additions after playing last season for Cedar Rapids. Kenawy said preparation — from practice and the recent intrasquad scrimmage – has been “fantastic.”

“It has been consistent,” said Kenawy, who had 13 points in 18 games last season. “I just want to keep getting better. Here, I’m already learning a lot from all of these guys.”

Jelovac and Kenawy said the recent additions of veteran Brazilian forward Mauricio Salles and midfielder Lucio Gonzaga have much experience and can help Utica in the MASL. The two veterans will also help Utica go "toe-to-toe with Baltimore" and other top teams, Hall said.

Hall said the team has many big, strong technical players for the indoor game, which relies on the dasherboards to help move the ball.

“We brought in some high-level firepower. The pieces are starting to fit together,” Hall said. “The veterans help give the team more credibility and experience for our up-and-coming players.”

The team returns five of six top scorers from last season, including 20-plus goal scorers Joey Tavernese (54 points) and Slavisa Ubirparipovic (39 points) as well as Nate Bourdreau (27 points). Hall likes the options at forward along with a solid defense that includes returners Jelovac, Jake Schindler, Ben Ramin and Darren Toby, as well as goalkeeper Andrew Coughlin.

“Honestly, all the pickups we’ve had (is a strength),” Kenawy said. “It is a benefit with the main core that is already on the team.”