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The Austin boys hockey team may get a little extra help next winter.

The Austin school board recently voted to approve the addition of Southland to the co-op for boys hockey. The move will become official if it is approved by the school boards of Pacelli and Southland.

Austin already co-ops with Pacelli in boys and girls hockey, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls soccer and boys and girls swimming and diving.

Southland was looking to co-op with Austin in boys hockey, so the students in their district could continue playing hockey in high school.

“There is an amount of Southland kids that participate in Austin Youth Hockey and Southland approached us about a co-op this year,” Austin Athletic and Activities Director Lisa Qwednow said. “Our response has always been, if it moves us up a class, we’re not going to do a co-op.”

The Packers would remain in Class A for boys hockey with the Southland co-op and the Southland kids who played youth hockey in Austin will now likely be able to continue playing with their teammates in high school.

“Hockey’s a little bit of an anomaly, because typically they play bantams until 10th grade,” Qwednow said. “It’s a little bit of a challenge and that’s why we’re going through this. Those Southland kids have been playing in the Austin youth hockey system.”

The Austin boys hockey team went 1-24 overall last season.

The Austin clay target and mountain biking teams also co-op with Pacelli.