Former Cape Breton Capers' star Cory Bent, second from the right, is seen during a warm-down jog at the conclusion of the HFX Wanderers' first day of training camp Wednesday morning at the BMO Centre indoor soccer facility in Clayton Park. TIM KROCHAK / The Chronicle Herald

Former Cape Breton Capers' star Cory Bent is seen during a warm-down jog at the conclusion of the HFX Wanderers' first day of training camp Wednesday morning at the BMO Centre indoor soccer facility in Clayton Park. TIM KROCHAK / The Chronicle Herald

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Scoring goals was the Achilles' heel of the HFX Wanderers’ inaugural season.

The Wanderers netted a league-worst 21 goals in 28 Canadian Premier League matches in 2019. One of Stephen Hart’s mandates during the off-season was to improve the offence.

“A lot of goal scoring is about that final pass and, last year, we struggled,” the Wanderers head coach said in an interview Wednesday following the team’s first day of training camp at the BMO Centre indoor soccer facility in Clayton Park.

“If you look at it statistically, we didn’t have a player in the top 16 in assists. I think we have a better balance in terms of players who can create chances and player who can potentially score. We’ll see how that transfers onto the field of play.”

The roster has been overhauled with a dozen new signings added to complement the seven returning players from last season.

Hart’s first order of off-season business was the Canadian Premier League-U Sports draft in November. The Wanderers owned the first overall pick and selected all-Canadian speedy winger Cory Bent from the Cape Breton Capers.

“We want to have four players in the wide position and we want each of them to bring something a little bit different,” Hart said. “Cory can play on the right, he can play on the left and he can even go on top. He’s very, very quick and he’s well-schooled.

“I watched him the past three years and I knew what qualities he can bring. We’ll see how well he can adapt. But he looks like a player that has all of the physical qualities to go to the next level.”

The five-foot-six Bent, who hails from Preston, England, scored 24 goals during a four-year university career that saw him switch from midfielder to striker with the Capers. He earned three Atlantic university conference first-team all-star selections and two first-team all-Canadian nods. He won a U Sports gold (and national championship MVP honours) in 2017, a silver in ’18 and a bronze this past season.

But he was nearly as ecstatic on a Monday night in November when he gathered around a laptop with a few of his CBU teammates to watch the draft unfold and heard his name called first.

“I was overwhelmed,” Bent recalled Wednesday following his first pro training camp session. “I was just hoping to get picked in the draft at all. When I heard my name go No. 1, there are not many words that can describe it.

“I was really fortunate to be one of the 14 players to be drafted by any of the clubs. It didn’t matter if I was picked one or 14. But I’m really happy that Stephen decided to pick me. I know I got drafted No. 1 but as I get here, I’m still fighting for my place on the team.”

Although being drafted only secures a trial and not a full spot on the team, Bent – whose father, Junior, was a pro soccer player in England – is confident he could thrust into a feature role with the Wanderers in 2020.

“It’s not just directly scoring goals but assisting is part of my game too,” Bent said. “I think I’m an exciting player to watch and hopefully I’ll get a chance to play at the Wanderers Grounds and prove that.”

Three of Bent’s CBU teammates were among the 14 players selected in the two-round draft. Midfielder Marcus Campanile was taken second overall by Valour FC, York9 grabbed midfielder Isaiah Johnston with the 10th pick and Valour took forward Charlie Waters at the 13th overall.

Having four of its players drafted into a pro league – not to mention three U Sports medals in three years – is a testament of the CBU soccer program’s prominence on the national stage.

“I’m so happy for our athletic director John Ryan and our coaches Deano (head coach Deano Morley), Scott (Clarke), Vernon (O’Quinn),” Bent said. “They have put a whole lot of work in for us to look like this at a national scale.

“We competed every year at nationals since I arrived there. We’re always happy to represent the people of Cape Breton as a whole, and the east coast, every time we go to nationals. They really do a great job in running that program. I’ve seen the growth in my four years. It’s a great thing for Cape Breton University and we’re proud of it.”

Last season, it was another Capers product that became the backbone of the Wanderers’ back-line. Peter Schaale was the team’s first choice (fifth overall) in the first CPL-U Sports draft in 2018.

The German defender appeared in 21 matches with the Wanderers and was a co-captain on the team. He left the club in late August to return to CBU and complete his business degree.

A two-time AUS most valuable player, Schaale and Bent spent four seasons together in Cape Breton so naturally Schaale has served as a mentor for Bent on the pro side.

“Peter has really helped me get acquainted with everything,” Bent said. “He’s been introducing me to everyone and helping me feel comfortable. He’s been here for the past year already and when he came back (to CBU) he told me all about it. He’s been a massive part of me coming down here.”

Hart had a busy off-season rebuilding the roster and it brought a sense of reinvigoration to the first day of training.

“It was a good first day; I enjoyed it,” Hart said. “The quality of the session that we had was high.

“Of course, right now it’s about getting them in the right conditioning and getting to know each other. We want them to develop some sort of familiarity and understand what each other’s strengths are and how they like to play. And for us it’s to get the medical team and the physiology team to get the players’ fitness level up for the next 14 days.”

The team will spend over two weeks in Halifax before flying south to the Dominican Republic for a week of warm-weather training from March 22 to 30.

The Wanderers will open their season April 13 at York9 FC. Their home opener is April 25 (2 p.m.) against the expansion Atlético Ottawa.