Cazzola with 4 points, Thompson with a pair of goals

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WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The CIS No. 1 Ranked Acadia Axemen extended their winning streak to seven with a convincing 7-2 win over the visiting St. Thomas Tommies.

After a scoreless first period, fourth year forward Mike Cazzola (Guelph, Ont.) began the Axemen’s four unanswered goal fun of the second period.

Cazolla netted his 12th goal of the year off of a rebound from Geoff Schemitsch’s shot from the near point.

First year forward Kyle Farrell (Howie Centre, N.S.) scored a shorthanded goal on a great feed by Sam Fioretti (Calgary, Alta.) to give the Axemen a quick 2-0 lead after eleven minutes of play.

Newcomer Chance Braid (Wainwright, Alta.) scored his first goal of his CIS hockey career beating Tommie goaltender Tyson Teichmann (Belleville, Ont.) on a rebound from Brett Thompson’s (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) effort at the side of the net.

Thompson scored the first of a two-goal night with under three minutes remaining in the second period. Thompson’s goal would cap the Axemen’s four goal run of the second frame.

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Acadia adds hard nosed forward to lineup for January

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The Acadia Axemen finished up the first half of their 2015-16 ranked #1 in the CIS national university hockey rankings. Coach Darren Burns was pleased with how the team came together in the first half, and hopes that a new addition to the lineup for the second half, will help the team continue to improve as they look to get back to a third straight national tournament appearance. Chance Braid has arrived in Wolfville, and will begin practicing with the team next week, in preparation for the Axemen’s 2nd half opener against the STU Tommies on January 9th.

“We had a solid first half, but the league is very tight. We are very excited to have Chance joining our program. He played in last spring’s Memorial Cup with the Kelowna Rockets, so it’s obvious he knows what it’s all about to play in pressure situations,” said Burns.

The 6’1, 210-pound power forward from Chauvin, Alberta spent the fall playing a handful of games in the ECHL with Idaho and Allen. Braid finished up a four-year junior career in the WHL narrowly losing in the Memorial Cup finals in overtime, with the Kelowna Rockets last season, after a midseason trade from the Prince George Cougars. Braid spent his first three years in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders.

Braid is known as a punishing power forward who doesn’t mind sticking up for his teammates. The hard-nosed left winger developed into one of the most feared players in the Western Hockey League. In a previous interview, Braid talked about his play, β€œI’ve been playing the same style of hockey since I’ve been in Prince Albert four years ago. I just finish my checks, be hard to play against and not be afraid to play in the dirty areas.”

Coach Burns added this about Braid, “His reputation as a team first player, who cares about his teammates is extremely important. He is a very strong physical player who will immediately add size and strength to our lineup. We are a gritty team, but adding a power forward with a strong hockey IQ of his caliber will no doubt help our team and create some space for some of our other forwards. This is a very skilled physical league and adding a forward who goes to the net hard and finishes his checks will be an added element to our team.”Read more »

Acadia to face Saint Mary’s at the Scotiabank Centre

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Halifax, NS – Sports & Entertainment Atlantic (S|E|A), in partnership with the Scotiabank Centre, Dalhousie Athletics and Saint Mary’s Athletics, is pleased to announce the creation of a new, university sport event for the city of Halifax!

Varsity Showdown 2016 will bring Dalhousie, Saint Mary’s, St.FX and Acadia together for two (2) regular season men’s hockey games on Friday, January 29th and two (2) women’s and men’s regular season basketball doubleheaders on Saturday, January 30th; all at the Scotiabank Centre in downtown Halifax.

β€œVarsity Showdown 2016 will provide a terrific platform to showcase the amazing product and inspiring athletes participating in AUS hockey and basketball,” said Derek Martin, President of S|E|A, producers of the CIS University Cup and the recently awarded CIS Final 8. β€œWe are thrilled to be partnering with Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s to bring their home games to the Scotiabank Centre where we know we can deliver an outstanding entertainment experience to students, alumni and fans”.

”This is a community that loves and supports university sport – we’ve seen that time and again,” said Scott Ferguson, president and CEO of Trade Centre Limited, operators of the Scotiabank Centre. β€œWith such an exciting line up of men’s and women’s sport, this promises to be an unforgettable weekend full of good competition.”Read more »

Living the Dream
John Decostehttp://www.kingscountynews.ca
Published on December 14, 2015
Dave Beach on the Axemen bench at the Andrew H. McCain Arena – his β€˜second home’ for 23 seasons.
Dave Beach on the Axemen bench at the Andrew H. McCain Arena – his β€˜second home’ for 23 seasons.

WOLFVILLE – Dave Beach has never played a game of hockey for Acadia, but his contributions to the success of the Axemen hockey program over the past 20-plus years have not gone without notice.

On Nov. 15, the long-time Axemen equipment manager joined former Acadia players Paul Doherty, Brian Casey and Malcolm Cameron as 2015 inductees to the Acadia Hockey Honour Roll.

Beach, 54, grew up in Kentville. Because one of his legs was shorter than the other, leaving him with a limp, he β€œwas never able to play hockey. I did play some Little League baseball, but I wasn’t very good.”

Talented in other ways

What Beach is good at were the tasks involved with being an equipment manager. He started out with the Kentville Wildcats senior baseball team in 1985, the year they won a national championship, and remained with the team through 2006.

In the fall of 1992, he was chosen to fill a vacancy as an equipment manager for the hockey Axemen.

β€œI spoke to Coach (Tom) Coolen, and he said there might be a job there for me. Just before the season, I was offered the job, and I was there for the next 23 seasons,” Beach said.

β€œMike Smith, a senior student, Chris (Rocky) Randall and I were the equipment managers. When Mike graduated, it was Chris and me for many years. I started out number-three, then number-two, and after Chris left, number-one.”

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OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport unveiled Monday its roster for a two-game exhibition series between CIS men’s hockey all-stars and Canada’s National Junior Team prospects in two weeks. Acadia defenseman Matt Pufahl was one of six AUS players named to the CIS All-Star roster.

The two-game set, which was announced earlier this month, will take place at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. EST and Sunday, Dec. 13 at noon EST as part of the National Junior Team’s preparation for the 40th IIHF World Junior Championship in Finland (Dec. 26 – Jan. 5).

The 23-player CIS lineup – including 20 with CHL experience – is comprised of 11 standouts from the OUA conference and six apiece from the AUS and Canada West leagues.

Highlighting the university squad are two members of the reigning two-time University Cup champion Alberta Golden Bears, a pair of former NHL draft picks, as well as the current CIS leaders in scoring, goals and goaltending.

“I know I speak on behalf of our entire coaching staff when I say we’re very pleased with the makeup of this team,” said head coach Shawn Camp from the University of Guelph, who will be accompanied behind the bench by assistant coaches Darren Burns from Acadia, Brett Gibson from Queen’s and Mike Sirant from Manitoba. “In order to compete with the National Junior Team we need to have players who have speed, skill and mobility, and we certainly have that when you look at the individuals on this roster. We know these guys will compete hard and play with composure.”

Protecting the CIS net in Toronto will be goaltenders Kevin Bailie from Queen’s, Corbin Boes from Dalhousie and Jordon Cooke from Saskatchewan.Read more »

Axemen score four third period goals for the win

Hometown Hockey's Tara Slone was on hand for the ceremonial opening faceoff to kick off the weekend of events in Wolfville.
Rogers Hometown Hockey’s Tara Slone was on hand for the ceremonial opening faceoff to kick off the weekend of events in Wolfville.

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Tied at one after two periods, the CIS No. 4 Acadia Axemen netted four unanswered goals within six minutes in the third frame, handing the visiting Dalhousie Tigers a 5-1 loss on the eve of Rogers Hometown Hockey weekend in Wolfville. The loss is the third in a row for the Tigers, while the Axemen extend their winning streak to six.

Phil Gadoury (Montreal, Que.) scored the first and only goal for the Tigers at 14:24 in the first period.

Acadia didn’t get on the scoreboard until early in the second period on the man advantage when Geoff Schemitsch (Thornhill, Ont.) scored his first of two goals. Schemitsch’s wrist shot from under the blue line made it past a crowd in front of Tiger goaltender Corbin Boes (Saskatoon, Sask.) for Acadia’s first goal.

Out-shooting the Tigers 27-15 after two periods, the flood gates opened in the third. Fourteen seconds into the final frame, Brett Thompson (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) scored his seventh goal of the season assisted by Mike Cazzola (Guelph, Ont.). Thompson’s tough angle shot from the centre of the faceoff circle beat Boes on the short side.

Less than a minute later, fourth year forward Mike Cazzola scored his third goal in two games giving Acadia a 3-1 lead early in the third period. Cazzola’s goal was taken nearly at the same spot as Thompson’s preceding goal and was assisted by Thompson.

Remy Giftopoulos (Ancaster, Ont.) scored with 4:41 off the clock in the third frame to give the Axemen a commanding 4-1 lead. Giftopoulus pulled the puck out from behind the net and circled to the slot where he beat Boes high on the blocker side.Read more »

Cazzola nets two powerplay goals

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WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Riding a four game winning streak, the CIS No. 4 ranked Acadia Axemen extended it to five with a 3-1 win over the visiting Saint Mary’s Huskies.

Acadia’s Mike Cazzola (Guelph, Ont.) scored his first of two powerplay goals with under three minutes remaining in the opening period. Cazzola’s goal, his ninth of the season, was on a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle to give the Axemen a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.Read more »