Islanders pay visit to St. Agnes

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Students at Rockville Centre’s St. Agnes Cathedral School met Islanders defenseman Tom Hickey and his teammate Jason Chimera, as part of the hockey team’s tour of 10 schools on Nov. 14.

Assistant Principal Brian Jensen, an Islanders fan, jumped at the opportunity to host the NHL players. “It’s our 100th year anniversary,” Jensen said of the school, “and we thought that this would be a great way to celebrate.”

Jensen said that Chimera and Hickey were incredibly humble. “When you see them out of their uniforms, they just introduce themselves like they’re regular people,” he said.

Estimating that about a quarter of the students were Islanders fans, Jensen noted that even those with different allegiances enjoyed the experience. “Even some of our Ranger fans were excited to meet NHL players,” Jensen said. “Now they’re trying to get the Rangers to come to school.”

St. Agnes beat out other schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties, as well as those in Queens and Brooklyn, in order to host a couple members of the team. For the application, Jensen wrote a short essay describing the school’s unity and spirit.

In its conclusion, he wrote, “When one member feels like they do not have the strength to carry on, there are hundreds of people here ready to help them carry their load, and remind them that at St. Agnes, no one will ever carry their burden alone.”