BANGOR – If it wasn’t for the Lewiston High School hockey team, there’s no telling how far the Bangor High Rams may have gone the past four years.

Lewiston has ousted the Rams in either the Eastern Maine Class A semifinals or final in each of the last four seasons.

The Rams would love another crack at a first-ever Eastern A championship and a state title this year but they have some holes to fill if they’re going to reach their goal.

Bangor third-year coach Ted Taylor expects Lewiston to be the team to beat again but feels his Rams will be a “top five team” in the final Heal points standings.

“We have the talent [to make a run at the state title]. This is one of the fastest teams we’ve had. We’ve just got to play as a team,” said Bangor senior goalie Andrew Riley.

“Our depth is better than it has been the previous two years,” said senior left wing and tri-captain Christian Dionne.

The Rams, 14-8-1 last year with six wins in their last seven games, will have three important players to replace: leading scorer Matt Boehmer (19 goals, 13 assists) along with dependable, workhorse defensemen Joel Whitney and Jake Silver.

The Rams do return their second- and third-leading scorers Dionne (14 & 17) and Johnny Warren (11 & 8) along with Riley, who had two shutouts in the playoffs before Lewiston beat him and his mates 8-4 in the Eastern A championship game.

“Andrew will keep us in every game,” said senior defenseman Ted Murray. “He’ll hold teams to one or two goals. If we can’t score at least two goals, that’s our fault.”

Riley and the Rams didn’t allow more than five goals in a game until the final.

“Goaltending will be one of our strengths,” said Taylor, who will have competent sophomore Zach Hamilton backing up Riley.

Taylor will start the season by putting his best three forwards on one line as senior Dionne and junior Warren will be joined by productive two-way junior right wing David Pardilla.

“That will be a top line but we might have to [eventually] split them up,” said Taylor, who would do so to get more balanced scoring.

An all-junior second line will have Josh Kelly between Cameron Taylor and Alan Reese and the third line will feature a pair of freshmen, Joey Seccareccia and Phil Frost with returnee Nate Lewis.

“I’d love to see the second or third line score a goal a game,” said Taylor.

Dionne said the line of Kelly, Taylor and Reese has “played together since they were freshmen” and he expects them to be productive.

The fourth line has Noah Frost between Alex Porter and Seb Dionne, Christian’s brother.

Dionne said they’ve spent a lot of time on snap shots and Seccareccia and Phil Frost have two of the best ones.

Murray and point-producing sophomore Nick George will key the defense and converted forward Chad Kelley has impressed Taylor.

“He’s emerging for us,” said Taylor.

Sophomores Chris Quirk, Scott Farnham and Josh Couturier will complement Murray, George and Kelley.

“We’ll have growing pains back there but, by midseason, I think we’ll get there,” said Taylor.