Boys Ice Hockey

Coach: Jon Portwine

Last year’s record: 9-9

Key players: The Rams will be led by senior forwards Steven Broy and Connor Smith, while relying on junior goalie Nate Holloran in the net.

Key games this season: According to Portwine, both games against Noble and Kennebunk will be big, while the single matchups against Scarborough and South Portland also loom large.

Season outlook: “Graduation claimed 10 seniors, so this year’s team will have a whole new look and feel,” Portwine said. “With only five players on the roster with more than one year of varsity experience, the team will be very young. Broy and Smith will be counted on to provide leadership to a group of very talented underclassmen. Holloran, who should be one of the best goalies in Western Maine A, will anchor the defensive end. February will prove to be a big month with many key games, but by then Gorham should again be in the mix for a playoff spot.”

Girls Ice Hockey

Program combined with Bonny Eagle

Coach: Nat Germond

Last year’s record: 0-16

Key players: “Rachel Litis was our leading scorer last year,” Germond said. “She’s a defenseman and was a freshman last year. I have coached Rachel all the way through youth hockey, and she’s one of those kids who has played since she was a small girl. Mariah Taylor, is an outstanding defender – this will be her third year – is going have a great year for us. Chris Farwell, our goaltender, was all conference last year. She faced a ton of rubber, as you might expect, and she’s been phenomenal.”

Season outlook: “We only lost three seniors last year, so I am excited about our prospects for this year,” Germond said. “I think we will have some wins this season, and I know our goal is to try to make the playoffs. We don’t have experience, so we’re going to have to be a team that just outworks opponents.”

Boys Basketball

Coach: Ryan Chicoine

Last year’s record: 4-14

Key players: The Rams expect to get good leadership from a quartet of four starting seniors: Zach Speirs, Andy Turner, Jeremy Earl and Blake Speed.

Key games: “I think our first game is going to be key,” Chicoine said. “That’s on Dec. 10 at home against Scarborough. They’re a team I think we’re going to be contending with right from the start for a playoff spot. But after going 4-14, every game counts, and we’re not going to take any team too lightly.”

Season outlook: “We’re going into it looking to make the playoffs,” Chicoine said. “This is a very optimistic group. It’s my first year as head coach, and these are a bunch of great kids, and we approach the game the right way here. With that being said, I expect the season to be successful in one form or another. We’re going to just play hard and let the chips fall where they may.”

Boys Indoor Track

Coach: Jason Tanguay

Last year’s record: 7-4

Key athletes: Jesse Orach, along with fellow juniors Joe DeRoy and Nate Gervais will play key roles for the Rams. Senior Kam Alexander is expected to perform well in sprints, hurdles and jumps, while sophomores Alex Thuotte, Troy Lambert and Julian Nijkamp round out this talented team.

Key meets this season: “Our first couple of meets will be important,” Tanguay said. “Those meets will show us if our younger athletes will be stepping up to make us competitive in the league this year.”

Season outlook: “We graduated some very good seniors, so this year we will look for some of our underclassmen to step up to make us competitive in our meets,” Tanguay said. “There is a strong core of athletes returning, but time will tell if enough of them can rise to the level of being scorers in meets.”

Girls Basketball

Coach: Laughn Berthiaume

Last year’s record: 13-6

Key players: The Rams will be built around the talents of Mia Rapolla, who was a 2010 SMAA first-team All-Star and made the All-defensive team. In addition to Rapolla, Gorham features the talents of Natalie Egbert, who was a 2010 SMAA All Star honorable mention, and Kristin Ross, who made the 2010 SMAA all-rookie team.

Key games this season: “We are not looking at any one or two games this year as being the key ones,” Berthiaume said. “We believe the league is well-balanced, and we are looking to find consistency in our play from game to game.”

Season outlook: “We have a number of game tested players and some exciting new faces,” Berthiaume said. “We are anxious to see if we can improve on last year’s performance and contend this year.”

The skiing and girls indoor track preview were not available as of press time

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