DeCairano's Class Wins Anne Hutchinson Stanley Cup

The Winter Olympics are in full swing, Sunday’s Super Bowl drew roughly 125 million viewers, but the biggest sporting event of the year—at least for local youngsters—may have been held in the Anne Hutchinson gym on Wednesday afternoon. 

On Feb. 11, students in Meagan DeCairano and Ariella Hecht’s classes squared off at lunchtime for the Anne Hutchinson Stanley Cup, the culmination of an annual tradition that pits Anne Hutchinson’s classes against each other in a floor hockey tournament to determine which cadre of fifth graders will hoist the eponymous trophy as the rest of their classmates cheer them on.

This year, it was DeCairano’s class that came out on top, securing a hard-fought victory and earning bragging rights in a fun, exciting event that brought the grade together while emphasizing the spirit of sportsmanship and competition.

Kieran Farrelly earned MVP honors en route to leading DeCairano’s class to victory, and said that getting a chance to vie for the coveted Cup was something he had been waiting for since he stepped foot on the Anne Hutchinson campus three years ago. 

“I’ve been looking forward to this since the second grade; I could hear all the screaming from the gym,” said Farrelly. “So it was really awesome to be a part of this.”

The floor hockey event is steeped in history, explained Anne Hutchinson physical education teacher Amanda Carlson, who noted that she played in the game when she was at the school as a student in 1998. The tournament is held each year shortly after the fifth grade physical education unit on hockey, providing students a chance to put those skills to good use.

“We do about three weeks of skills, then we do two weeks of playoffs, then the last two teams standing play for the Stanley Cup,” said Carlson. “When I stepped into this position, I wanted to keep this tradition going, so [fellow physical education teacher] Octavio Bernabo and I just kept adding things over the years, like student jobs at the game, to show the students that there are other career opportunities in sports other than being an athlete or a referee; there’s something for everyone”

On Wednesday, those student jobs included scorers and timekeepers, media members who captured the action on the floor, security personnel, and guest relations, all roles that sought to engage students whose road to the Cup Finals ended earlier than they may have liked. 

“It’s really awesome; it’s a great experience,” said Bernabo. “The kids love it, we love it, and it brings the school together.”

That sentiment was echoed by Farrelly, who said he couldn’t wait to get back into the classroom to continue celebrating with the rest of the winning team.

“This was amazing. My classmates were really supportive of each other and they never gave up,” he said. “I think an event like this will make our entire grade stronger.”