We chat with recent Axemen hockey graduates Mike Cazzola and Remy Giftopoulos about their time at Acadia and what led to them being on the same team in the Alps Hockey League in Italy.A graduate of 2016, Mike ventured to the UK for school and hockey, while Remy traveled to Italy after finishing with the Axemen and graduating in 2018.The former teammates are on the same team - Cortina and they are both major contributors to the team's scoring. Mike leads the league in points, while teammate Remy is third in points.

Acadia Athletics's Axe Report Podcast

The AxeCast - Episode 30 - Former Hockey Axemen Mike Cazzola and Remy Giftopoulos

We chat with former Basketball Axewomen Haley McDonald and Allie Berry who are both in Germany playing professional basketball. McDonald and Berry play in the same conference - Bundesliga-2.  Haley plays for the Bad Homborg, while Berry plays for ASC Theresianum Mainz.Berry, a graduate of Acadia in 2018, captured an AUS championship in 2018. Berry was fifth year veteran who experienced basketball at Acadia under former head coach Bev Greenlaw and current coach Len Harvey.McDonald and Berry were teammates in 2018 and the following year, McDonald led the Axewomen to their second AUS championship in a row in 2019. 2019 was a record setting year for Haley that included an AUS record of 51 points in a single game vs UPEI in the AUS semi-finals at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

The AxeCast - Episode 29 - Former Basketball Axewomen Allie Berry & Haley McDonald

From Port Hood, NS, Bruce wasn't exposed to football until his arrival at Acadia University in 1987. From a humble beginning where most of his time spent was tending to the family farm, Bruce was captivated with the game of football.He would spend five seasons with the Axemen developing his skills as an offensive lineman. While with the Axemen, Bruce was a three-time AUS All-Star tackle and three-time CIAU All-Canadian before being drafted eighth overall by the BC Lions of the CFL in 1991.Bruce played 13 seasons in the Canadian Football League for five different teams. He was named CFL All-Star three times and was a part of two Grey Cup championship teams with the Edmonton Eskimos. 

The AxeCast - Episode 28 - Former Football Axeman Bruce Beaton

A native of Elmhurst, New York, Konchalski played at Archbishop Molloy High School before embarking on a university career at Acadia in 1962. He guided the Axemen to its first ever national title in the CIAU in 1965. Known mostly as a coach, Kochalski as a player set a single game high 41 points and 17 field goals, while being presented with the Jack Donohue Trophy as the tournament Most Valuable Player. His career 1,479 points were more than any player had scored in the history of the program when he left. Konchalski graduated from Acadia in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts and subsequently enrolled at Dalhousie Law School.He worked as assistant coach at Loyola College in Montreal for four years and in 1975 accepted the position as head coach of the St. Francis Xavier University men's basketball team.[8] He coached the X-Men to national titles in 1993, 2000 and 2001, while receiving CIS Coach of the Year honours in 2001. He was named Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Coach of the Year in 1983, 1991, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006.Konchalski was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1993, the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame as an athlete in 1994. In 1999, he was the recipient of the Frank Baldwin Award for dedication to basketball in Nova Scotia.Courtesy of Wikipedia

Untitled Episode

A three-time AUS Defensive Player of the Year, AUS MVP and 3-time U SPORTS All-Canadian, former basketball Axeman Owen Klassen continues to play basketball after his 2014 graduation from Acadia.Playing in Europe, the CEBL and for Canada Basketball's Sr. Men's Team Canada, we caught up to Owen in France where he is playing professional basketball during a COVID-19 epidemic.We chatted with Owen about his time at Acadia and his experiences beyond Acadia.

The AxeCast Episode 26 - Former Basketball Axeman Owen Klassen

A Woodstock, NB native, Laura Sanders arrived at Acadia in 1984 to coach women’s varsity basketball, field hockey and soccer, which had not yet achieved varsity status.Laura would coach basketball at Acadia for 20 seasons and although her basketball teams had their moments, her greatest success would come on the soccer pitch where the Axettes won a 1990 National Championship.Len and Eric chat with Laura about her time before arriving at Acadia and her 20 year career coaching at Acadia.

The AxeCast - Episode 25 - Former Axettes basketball & soccer coach Laura Sanders

The 1992-93 men's hockey team was the first university team in Nova Scotia to win the CIAU (U SPORTS now) National Championship and they did it easily with a 12-1 win over Toronto.In the 90's, the Axemen showcased some of the top teams in CIAU for nearly a decade and it began with the in the late 80's. Colin Gregor and Dennis Sproxton were members of the 1993 National Championship team and they chat with Len and Eric about the season and what got them to becoming the best university hockey team in the country.

The AxeCast - Episode 24 - Former Hockey Axemen Colin Gregor & Dennis Sproxton

A Windsor Regional High School graduate, Ted Upshaw landed on the Acadia campus in 1976. A highly recruited by former Axemen Brian Heaney (head coach at Saint Mary's) and Steve Konchaski (head coach at StFX), Upshaw chose Acadia and never regretted his choice. A two time CIAU All-Canadian and AUAA Most Valuable Player, Upshaw played with many greats and became a great himself, capturing a 1976-77 National Championship. During his five seasons, he and the Axemen had three visits to the National Championship Game.

The AxeCast - Episode 23 - Former Basketball Axeman Ted Upshaw

From a basketball family, Erin McAleenan graduated from Acadia in 2003 and went on to follow her passion of coaching. After her time at the University of Alberta as an assistant coach while working on her Masters degree, Erin landed a job as head coach of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns that eventually led to where she is now at York University leading the women's basketball team.Len and Eric chat with Erin about what made Acadia her choice and what her goals are now as the head coach of the York Lions women's basketball team.

The AxeCast - Episode 22 - Former Basketball Axewoman Erin McAleenan

The AxeCast host Len Hawley chats with Acadia's Executive Director of Athletics Kevin Dickie about this past fall and what may await us in the winter months along with a discussion around the World Junior Hockey Championship during the pandemic. 

The AxeCast - Episode 21 - Executive Director of Athletics, Kevin Dickie

A four time AUS All-Star, AUS MVP, AUS Rookie of the Year, an AUS Community Service Award winner twice and the CIAU TSN Community Service Award winner, Lori Beth was Acadia volleyball's first CIAU All-Canadian in 2004.Inducted into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame, Dwyer spent 6 seasons as head coach of the Holland College Hurricanes women's volleyball team. During her six seasons, she posted a 86-45 record after the team had only had one win prior to her arrival.

The AxeCast - Episode 20 - Former Volleyball Axewoman Lori Beth (MacEwen) Dwyer

Graduating from Acadia in 2012, Jake Thomas had an outstanding university career with the Axemen culminating in the 2011 season as the AUS Lineman of the Year, AUS All-Star for the second time and named as a U SPORTS (CIS) All-Canadian.Drafted by the CFL's  Winnipeg Blue Bombers 29th overall in the draft, Jake is the longest serving Blue Bomber of 8 seasons and became a Grey Cup Champion in 2019. He was the first to hoist the Grey Cup after their win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The AxeCast - Episode 19 - Former Football Axeman Jake Thomas

 A graduate from Acadia in the Class of 1961, Ann Mosher was the first person and woman to be named Acadia's Athenaeum Athlete of the Year. Inducted into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, Ann shined in basketball but was also a volleyball and field hockey player. Ann was named to the U SPORTS Top 100 women basketball players of all-time last year. 

The AxeCast - Episode 18 - Former Basketball, Volleyball and Field Hockey Axette Ann Mosher MacVicar

Janna is a two-time First Team All-Canadian and multiple years as an AUS All-Star. She played for the Axewoman from 2011 to 2014.Len and Eric chat with former Rugby Axewoman Janna Slevinsky about her time as an Axewoman and her experience so far with  Rugby Canada's women's 15s national team as she prepares for the coming 2021 15s World Cup.

The AxeCast - Episode 17 - Former Rugby Axewoman Janna Slevinsky

 Host Len Hawley chats with two former football Axemen who were teammates on the 1981 CIAU Vanier Cup National Championship team. Don Clow and Keith Skiffington chat with Len about the 1981 team and their experience at the 1981 College Bowl (Vanier Cup) vs. Alberta at Toronto's Varsity Stadium. 

The AxeCast - Episode 16 - Former Football Axemen Don Clow & Keith Skiffington

Join Len Hawley as he chats with those involved in Acadia Athletics including coaches, student-athletes and community members.

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Acadia Athletics's Axe Report Podcast

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