A proud history for Acadia’s coaches

Head coach Darren Burns was a player when Acadia won its first national championship in 1993 and was an assistant to Mark Hanneman when the Axemen captured its second Canadian banner three years later.

Assistant coach Mike Alcoe has been a mainstay for a quarter for a century. He was there for the national titles in ’93 and ’96 and was Burns’ assistant when the Axemen last appeared at nationals in 2006.

And they’ll be there this week in Saskatoon as Acadia returns to the CIS University Cup championship.

“After all these years, we’re still here,” Burns, in his 13th season as Acadia head coach, said earlier this week.

“(Alcoe) has put 20-plus years into the program. People like him typify what goes behind the scenes at Acadia, not just with the hockey program but the university in general. To see guys like Mike and the work he puts in year after year, it’s nice for him to get this experience again. His loyalty to the program and his loyalty to me is a special thing.

“We have a big job but we also want to enjoy the moment. It’s a fine line. We have to be prepared. You just can’t be happy to be there.”

You won’t find too many similarities between the team that won two national championships in four years and this year’s edition.

Back then, the Axemen were an offensive powerhouse. In the 1993 national championship game, Acadia crushed the host University of Toronto 12-1.

Today’s Axemen stress defence first. They scored a combined 13 goals in a four-game series win over Saint Mary’s in the Atlantic conference championship. But they were at their stifling best, allowing only six goals to the Huskies. They led the league with 68 goals allowed during the regular season.

“Those teams in ’93 and ’96 were extremely powerful offensive teams,” Burns said. “I find our team now is a little more industrious. We’re not a high-flying team, we have to play structured hockey.

“Yes, we hold our own scoring goals but that’s all through good defence and hard work. That’s one special thing to watch with this group. Everybody has an opportunity to contribute. We roll out four lines and we play six (defencemen). We need everybody.”

If there is a parallel between this year and the ’90s juggernauts, Burns said it lies in the team chemistry and leadership.

“Those teams in ’93 and ’96, they were very tight-knit groups,” Burns recalled. “That’s one of the things I believe put us over the edge this year, being a tight-knit group. Our guys spend what seems to be every waking hour together. It’s all about team unity.

“As well, all great teams have solid leadership. We had it 20-odd years ago and this team has it. They controlled everything in the dressing room. We may have three or four guys who wear letters but there are a lot of leaders on this team.

“These guys are a real throwback.”