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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Joey Wells – ’76 Athlete
December 6, 2014
Literally and figuratively, Joey Wells stood above most other basketball players in Nova Scotia for most of his career. An Amherst native, Joey excelled in basketball and track and field in high school, winning multiple provincial titles in track and field, leading Amherst to back-to-back provincial titles in basketball and representing Nova Scotia at the […]
Carl Trask – 1931
August 25, 2012
Yarmouth County native Carl Trask was a distinguished athlete who starred on virtually every mens team at Acadia during the late 1920s and early 1930s. He excelled in swimming, water polo, rugby and baseball, and he was captain of the 1930 men’s varsity basketball team that captured the Eastern Canadian Championship. In the Eastern Canadian […]
Mary-Ann (Brooks) Thornton- 1949
August 25, 2012
Mary Ann (Brooks) Thornton first appeared on Acadia’s campus during the fall of 1945, following completion of grade eleven at the high school in Woodstock, N.B. During her four academic years at Acadia, Mary Ann participated in a wide variety of activities and displayed outstanding organizational skills while holding such positions as class secretary, vice-president […]
Michael Hazard- 1981
August 25, 2012
Rhode Island native Michael Hazard, undoubtedly qualifies as one of the greatest ever basketball Axemen. A Conference and All-Canadian All-Star during his years at Acadia, he ranks high on the team’s list of all-time scoring leaders. Following a basketball season in which he was named New England Junior College’s most out standing player, this excellent […]
Robert Douglas- 1956
August 25, 2012
Robert “Bob” Douglas, a graduate of Queen Elizabeth High School in Halifax, came to Acadia University in the Fall of 1953, and immediately established himself as a star on the Varsity Basketball team. Considered one of the best back court men in the league at that time, Bob shared the back court duties with Acadia […]
1980-81 Men’s Basketball Team
August 25, 2012
The 1980-1981 men’s basketball team established several team, conference and Canadian records, enabling them to emerge as CIAU finalists. Directed by head coach, Ian MacMillan and assistant John Archibald, the Axemen were led by the excellent performance of power forward Ted Upshaw, Phil Coldwell, Bo Hampton, Larry Hampton and Donnie Ehler. Equally outstanding contributions were […]
Robert G. (Ted) Upshaw-1980
August 25, 2012
Windsor Regional graduate Ted Upshaw, rated a High School All-Canadian, was an outstanding basketball Axeman from the fall of ’76 to the spring of ’81. During these five academic years he was a standout athlete on the Acadia hoop squads that won a National title and a couple of runner up awards in Canadian championship […]
1968-69 Men’s Basketball Team
August 25, 2012
The 1968-1969 Men’s Basketball Axemen under the direction of Coach Gib Chapman and assistant coach, Dr. Jim Logue, enjoyed an outstanding season in league and tournament play. The team managed by Gordon Wamica and David Allen listed Brian Heaney as the lone starter from the previous season, while another returnee, Brian Forsythe, joined with one- […]
1960-61 Men’s Basketball Team
August 25, 2012
…brought to Acadia it’s first Maritime Intercollegiate title in over two decades. The Stu Aberdeen-coached Acadia Axemen’s basketball team of ’60-’61 enjoyed tremendous success, losing only three contests in twenty-three appearances. The club, built around returnees Pete Simmonds, Gene Chatterton, and Blair Dixon, reached new heights with the inspirational performances by newcomers Warren Sutton, Richie […]
Warren Sutton- 1963
August 25, 2012
…an Axemen basketball star and first CIAU performer to be drafted by the NBA. Perhaps the first basketball Axemen to achieve superstar status at the national level was American born Warren Sutton who joined the Stu Aberdeen-coached squad during the fall of 1960, combining well with the likes of Peter Simmonds, Gene Chatterton, Blair Dixon, […]
Frederick Spicer- 1936
August 24, 2012
Frederick Spicer, a graduate of the Parrsboro High School, was an outstanding all-round athlete at Acadia, being a key member of several interclass championship teams in track, the Bulmer run, soccer and basketball. It was, however, as a member of the Red and Blue’s varsity track and field and intermediate and varsity rugby squads that […]
Burnett A. Ralston- 1935
August 24, 2012
Burnett A. Ralston–better known as “Burnie”-was born in Shelburne, Nova Scotia but attended Morris Street, Halifax Academy and Saint John High Schools. A gifted athlete who participated in interclass basketball, baseball, swimming, track and field, hockey and soccer, he is best remembered athletically as an excellent varsity English rugby and basketball performer. On the football […]
Steve Pound- 1972
August 24, 2012
Steve Pound, a 1972 graduate of Acadia University, starred as a basketball Axeman for four seasons being the recipient of many individual honors as well as being an outstanding performer on the ’70-’71 Canadian Intercollegiate championship team. A native of Millinocket, Maine, and a graduate of Steams High School, the 5’9″ court general was a […]
Francis Mouzar- 1944
August 24, 2012
The late Francis Mouzar, a 1944 graduate of Acadia University and a longtime baseball star of the Nova Scotia and Maritime-championship winning Liverpool Larrupers, was excellent in both intercollegiate basketball and English rugby. First appearing on the Acadia campus in the thirties as a student of Horton Academy where he starred in athletics, he was […]
1962-63 Men’s Basketball Team
August 24, 2012
The 1962-63 Axemen emerged as Nova Scotia and Maritime Intercollegiate basketball champions and were the first Acadia basketball team to compete in the Canadian Intercollegiate finals. Having narrowly lost the Maritime Intercollegiate crown to St. F .X. the previous season, the Axemen entered the ’62-63 schedule with high hopes of representing the Conference in National […]
Richard (Rick) Eaton- 1972
August 24, 2012
From the fall of 1968 to the spring of 1971, Richard “Rick” Eaton earned the reputation as one of the best all-round basketball performers ever to wear the Acadia colors. For three brilliant basketball seasons this New Jersey native -blessed with a magical scoring touch and excellent rebounding skills -led the Axemen in their quest […]
Brian P. Heaney- 1969
August 24, 2012
During the fall of 1964, Brian Patrick Heaney, a resident of Rockaway Beach, New York and a fonner member of the Ralph Tedesco-coached Bishop Laughlin High School basketball squad located in Brooklyn, enrolled at Acadia and quickly fell under the influence of basketball coach Stu Aberdeen. Entering Acadia following the exciting and successful Warren Sutton […]