Lakeville South had been thinking about St. Thomas Academy since last Saturday, after Cougars’ head coach A.J. Bucchino inscribed the team’s first round opponent on the team’s whiteboard.

The Cadets were awarded the No. 2 seed in the Class AA field, and the draw of a highly-seeded opponent drew cheers from the Cougar players.

“I think it was a sign of belief,” Bucchino said of the reaction on Thursday afternoon. “They knew if we did our job (as a coaching staff) and they did their job and took responsibility that we could win.”

Lakeville South’s belief in their chances proved prophetic, as the unseeded Cougars swept past the Cadets 5-2, advancing to the Class AA semifinals.

“We knew they were going to come out strong,” Lakeville South senior goaltender Isaiah DiLaura said after the win. “I just tried to channel the emotions and just make every save that I could.”

DiLaura finished the game with 31 saves against the high-powered offense of the Cadets, including 11 in the third period as the Cadets tried to get back into the game.

“We expect that from him,” Bucchino said of DiLaura’s professional way of going about his business. “It’s great confidence for the team,” Bucchino continued. “We believe in Isaiah and he’s been a rock all year.”

The Cougars (19-9-1) needed a rock early in the contest, where senior Cory Checco said that the team may have been feeling the effects of the Tournament’s grand stage. 

“We started out nervous because none of us had ever been there before,” Checco said. “Once we kept getting the puck down deep, and forechecking their defense the way we usually do when we play, I think we took over the game."

St. Thomas Academy (23-5-1) took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period on a goal by Ray Christy, a lead that was answered by Lakeville South’s Checco three minutes later.

Cougars Jack Olsen and Dawson Klein scored to start the second, with both goals the result of face-off wins in the Cadet zone.

“We just hit the wrong day to give up two face-off goals,” Cadets’ co-head coach Greg Vannelli said while praising the Cougars’ ability block shots and disrupt the passing lanes.

William Moore and Bradley Golant tacked on goals in the third for the Cougars, with Golant’s coming in an empty net.