Hailing from Newfoundland, Wendy Bedingfield first appeared at Acadia in 1970 as a lecturer, volleyball and basketball coach. She later earned her PhD and, in 1976, joined the faculty at the University of Alberta where she ran a highly productive sport biomechanics lab. Her understanding of the role of universities, leadership, and sport developed, and […]
Brian Walling
November 19, 2016
Fleet-footed Brian Walling broke through opposition defences and conference rushing records as he ran for an impressive 3,084 yards during five seasons with the Acadia Axemen. Almost three decades after hanging up his jersey, he still stands as the fourth all-time leading rusher in the Atlantic conference. In his final year at Acadia, the Axemen […]
Larry Jusdanis
November 19, 2016
A key ingredient in one of the most prolific offenses in the country in 1995, Larry Jusdanis helped to apply a CFL-style offensive playbook to the Canadian university game. Under the watchful eye of then head coach Sonny Wolfe and offensive coordinator Danny Laramee, Jusdanis set AUAA records that still stand to this day. From […]
Gordie West
November 19, 2016
In an era when most of the marquee men’s basketball players in Atlantic Canada were still American-born, Nova Scotian Gordon Merrill (Gordie) West bucked the trend and broke the mold. As a high school senior, Gordie helped lead Liverpool High School to the NSSAF boys’ basketball championship in 1972. He was recruited to Acadia by […]
Ed Gataveckas
November 19, 2016
Few people wearing Acadia colours have enjoyed the kind of success that Ed Gataveckas did during his tenure as a member of the football Axemen. A linebacker under legendary head coaches Bob Vespaziani and John Huard, Gataveckas was a member of the 1979 CIAU championship Axemen. He was named an AUAA All-Star each year from […]
Dara (Moore) Ramirez
November 19, 2016
Dara (Moore) Ramirez (’92) has been involved in sport nearly all her life, but soccer is her passion and she has made an indelible mark as an athlete, coach and builder at Acadia University, in her home province of Nova Scotia, and beyond. The Hantsport, Nova Scotia native arrived at Acadia as a walk-on to […]
Tom Coolen
November 19, 2016
Coolen, a native of Halifax, N.S., played for the Dalhousie Tigers and Saint Mary’s Huskies during his undergraduate degree. Coolen began his university coaching career as an assistant coach with the UNB Varsity Reds, capturing an AAAU title in 1983-84. Prior to his appointment at Acadia in 1986, Tom completed his MA in physical education […]
1995 Acadia Football Axemen
November 19, 2016
In 1993, the Acadia Axemen ushered the CFL spread offense into the CIAU, led by offensive coordinator Danny Laramee and head coach Sonny Wolfe. By 1995, Acadia has mastered a passing game that was nearly unstoppable. The team registered 214 points in eight games in a conference that boasted four strong teams, including the St. F.X. […]
1986 Acadia Football Axemen
November 19, 2016
The 1986 Acadia football Axemen provided head coach Sonny Wolfe with his first conference championship, putting together an impressive 7-0 regular season and rolling over the St. Francis Xavier X-Men 29-13 in the conference final. Acadia dominated the conference during the season, putting up a league-leading 245 points while allowing the fewest points – 67. […]
1980 Football Axemen
November 19, 2016
Sandwiched between two national championship teams, the 1980 football Axemen chalked up seven consecutive regular season victories after losing their opening game to Saint Mary’s. The red and blue lost 17-15 to the Huskies, but then went 7-0 on their way to another conference championship. Coached by Waterville, Maine native John Huard, the Axemen avenged […]
1977-1978 FOOTBALL AXEMEN
November 19, 2016
The Acadia football teams of the mid-to late-1970s were perennial national contenders and the 1977 squad was no exception. The team won a third straight conference championship and advanced to their second consecutive CIAU College Bowl championship. Acadia opened the season with a convincing win over Mount Allison then dropped a close decision to St. […]
1995-1996 Acadia Hockey Axemen
December 16, 2014
The 1995-1996 Acadia hockey Axemen captured Acadia’s second CIS hockey title in four years, with the ability to both steamroll the opposition and, when necessary, win the close games as well. Despite a formidable lineup recruited by head coach Tom Coolen, the Axemen program was thrown into disarray when Coolen left shortly before training camp […]
James Perkins
December 16, 2014
The role of a President differs significantly from most inductees such as athletes, teams, coaches and Athletic Directors. A President must constantly deal with competing interests, and more requests than resources can satisfy, as well as take responsibility to aid in maximizing those resources. He must also judge when to initiate action, when to prod, […]
Dave Rode
December 16, 2014
One of the best ‘big men’ of his time, Dave Rode starred on the Acadia men’s basketball teams from 1963-1966. On teams that featured players like Richie Spears, Steve Konchalski and Brian Heaney, Dave Rode was the leader, and was generally acknowledged as the glue that made the Axemen as good as they were. Dave […]
Holly LeReverend-Smith
December 16, 2014
Holly LeReverend-Smith graduated from Acadia in 1981 with a degree in Physical Education, and again in 1986 with a Bachelor of Education. The 1976-1977 school year was the high-water mark of Holly’s Acadia career. She helped lead Acadia to the AUAA women’s swim championship, and then to the first of two consecutive CIAU titles. At […]
John Huard
December 16, 2014
A native of Waterville, Maine, John Huard played four years of football at the University of Maine, and was a three-time Maine Athlete-of-the-Year. A linebacker, he is generally considered to be the finest football player the state of Maine has ever produced. John played professionally with Denver and New Orleans in the NFL and Montreal […]
1971-‘72 Mens Basketball Team
December 6, 2014
Despite being the defending national champions, Acadia began the 1971-1972 men’s basketball season with some major holes to fill. In fact, only five players remained from the roster that had dominated the nation the previous season. Fortunately, two of those players were Steve Pound and Gary Folker, who represented a solid foundation on which to […]
1988-‘89 Women’s Soccer Team
December 6, 2014
The 1988 soccer Axettes were a dominant force in Canadian Intercollegiate soccer for a second straight year. However, the team that gathered in Wolfville in the late summer was heavy of heart. Gunnhildur Baldursson, the leading scorer on the 1987 conference champion Axettes, had been tragically killed the previous November. The AUAA leading scorer the […]
Cindy Tye ’94 (Montgomerie) – Athlete
December 6, 2014
Cindy Montgomerie arrived at Acadia in the fall of 1990 to play varsity soccer for Laura Sanders’s Axettes. She joined a program that had won three straight conference titles, as well as a silver medal at the 1988 nationals. There were no first-year jitters for Cindy, who played from the start like a seasoned veteran. […]
Conrad (Connie) MacNeil ’52, ‘53 – Builder
December 6, 2014
For the past 60 years Connie MacNeil has been a tireless promoter and advocate of athletic excellence and fair play, and his commitment stands as a shining example to countless students and alumni of what Acadia hockey and sports in general are all about. A Glace Bay native, he made the hockey Axemen as a […]