LEWISTON – St. Dom’s is aggressive.

Ask any of the teams the Saints have played – and defeated – in recent weeks. Their forecheck forces quick decisions, and often errant passes coming out of the zone, creating center-zone turnovers and offensive opportunities going the other way.

But what happens when the forecheck breaks down? It happens, even to the best of teams.

For all of its speed, St. Dom’s best weapon might be its corps of four senior blueliners.

“We started off the season young on defense, really,” tri-captain Codie Keene said. “I had just come back to the position and Andrew (Gwarjanski) came back a couple of games into the season to add strength. It just clicked well. We both got the hang of it.”

Keene and Gwarjanski both spent last season as forwards. Seeing a lack of experience on his blue line, St. Dom’s coach John Pleau made the switch.

“It all starts from the back end,” Pleau said. “We needed some veteran presence on the blue line.”

“Last year I converted to defense half way through the season,” Gwarjanski said. “I started this season at forward, then found myself back on defense. I guess it’s where the team needed me.”

Keene, Gwarjanski, Jeff Lewandowski and Alex Cornelio make up the Saints’ primary defensive unit. Their job is to protect two more seniors – Will Emerson and Max Wiley – who tend the net.

“You win big games with your defense and goaltending,” Pleau said.

“Defense is one of the most important things,” Lewandowski agreed. “Offense can win you some games, but when it gets tight, it’s all about the defense.”

A solid stretch drive into the playoffs would qualify as “when it gets tight.” The Saints started the season 1-4. They got one of those back after Scarborough forfeited the game, and they were mired at or below .500 going forward.

Until last week.

A big win over Lewiston and another over Thornton helped the Saints end the season on a 5-0 run, lifting them into position to perhaps crack the No. 6 position in Western Class A.

The key to that rise has been, in part, team speed, precipitated from the blue line.

“Our whole team is very fast, and when we use it, it’s deadly,” Gwarjanski said. “When we come out hard, it’s amazing how well we can forecheck some teams. We’ve taken some teams by surprise. As far as on defense, that’s big, too. You have guys out there who can really fly, and you have to be able to pivot and stay with them.”

When they are not scoring, the Saints’ defenders are also making sure their forwards can. That’s where Cornelio, a self-described defense-first defenseman, comes in.

“Every team needs to have someone on defense who can move the puck well to the forwards,” Cornelio said. “We have Jeff who can fire a hard slap shot from anywhere, and Codie can, too, so we need someone who can distribute the puck, and I kind of fell into that role.”

With the playoffs – and a preliminary game this weekend – looming, the Saints are confident that their back end will be the key in any game they play.

It’s going to have to be.