…an outstanding Axeman: both as a player and as a coach
Neil MacVicar , better known to the sporting fraternity as “Scorchy”, was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. Being a member of a very sports-minded family (his father, Charlie, being a legendary figure of Caledonia English rugby fame) Neil soon learned the rudiments of such games as rugby and hockey. Following tremendous success on championship clubs in Cape Breton, “Scorchy” arrived on the Acadia Campus during the Fall of ’46, soon becoming a vital cog on the English rugby club that captured several City League titles, a couple of Nova Scotia Intercollegiate Championships and, in 1949, The Maritime Intercollegiate and McCurdy Cup crowns. Statistics indicate that Neil was always a key figure for the Axemen in both league and playoff encounters. Time and time again his name figured prominently in the scoring summaries as he registered key tries and successful penalty kicks.
On the ice lanes, of course, Neil was equally as talented, enjoying many great moments for the Fred Kelly-inspired teams that brought a couple of tri-province titles to this historic campus. In his rookie year and a teammate of the famed “Collegiate Clipper” Jimmy Gray and others he was an offensive standout. As a team, the Axemen compensated for their loss to archrival St. F .X. by humbling their ” downtown” rivals, the Wolfville Red Wings, 23- 7, in the Annual Callendar Cup play. The Winter of’ 48 was, however, “Scorchy’s” shining hour as at 4;49 of sudden death overtime play, he took a pass from Ed Bagnall and ripped a shot past St. F .X. netminder Marly MacIntyre giving the Axemen the Provincial Intercollegiate crown. In subsequent play against St. Dunstan’s for the Maritime title, MacVicar and Company were relatively easy winners. The following season saw the Glace Bay line of MacVicar, MacKenzie and Morrison share the limelight with Roach, Smith, MacFarlane, Crosby, MacAskill, MacLean and others on the way to another tri-province crown. Although the Axemen fell to St. F.X. with the Swarlzacks, Scatalone and all in ’49-’50, Neil continued to blink the red light with regularity. In 1991, “Scorchy’s” achievements were recognized as his name was added to the list of greats on Acadia’s Hockey Honour Roll.
Following a year of training in physical education at Springfield College and post-graduate study at Dalhousie where incidentally, he starred with the football Tigers Neil became an outstanding physical education teacher at such centres as Campbellton, N.B., Fort Erie, Ont. and Halifax. During his long stay at Q.E.H. and St. Pat’s, his coaching expertise resulted in many championship teams. From ’60-’66, he returned to the Acadia Campus, guiding the fortunes of the Axemen in Canadian football, swimming and volleyball -the latter sport claiming five Maritime crowns.
It is a pleasure to welcome Neil “Scorchy” MacVicar to Acadia’s Sports Hall of Fame.
