Vesey Jolts Austin Prep Into Super 8 Final

Austin Prep's 'super' season will end on the biggest stage.

Thanks to a 2-1 victory over top-seeded St. John's Prep on Wednesday night inside Lowell's Tsongas Center, the Austin Prep boys hockey team will play on Sunday in the Super 8 championship game on the ice of TD Garden.

The Cougars previously knocked Reading High School out of the Super 8 in the opening round with a closely contested 2-0 sweet of the series.

On Wednesday, North Reading resident Nolan Vesey was credited with both Cougar goals, including one on a strange bounce with 2:11 to play in the third period to put Austin Prep ahead for good.

According to the Boston Herald, the play happened so quickly that not even Vesey knows how he managed the game-winning goal.

“I couldn’t tell you, I just closed my eyes and saw the puck go behind the line," Vesey told the newspaper. "That’s all that matters.”

Thanks to the victory, Austin Prep advanced to face two-time defending Super 8 champion Malden Catholic. Puck drops on what should be a high-octane tilt Sunday at 6 p.m. on the ice of TD Garden in Boston.

Check back with Reading Patch for complete coverage of the game.