By John DeCoste '77 - Acadia is forging quite a reputation for hosting national championship tournaments, and from all accounts, the upcoming 2020 Cavendish Farms University Cup will be of the same high standard.

"This is the fourth national championship we'll have hosted in four seasons, in four different varsity sports," says Kevin Dickie, Acadia's Executive Director of Athletics and Community Events. "There are only two schools in Canada that can say that."

Acadia, Dickie points out, is "a school of 3,500. Half a dozen years ago, no one would have ever imagined us hosting a tournament like this." He described it as "a legacy for Acadia. Hockey has such a strong hold in our community. Whether we ever do it again, we will have hosted a championship like this."

The 2020 University Cup will be played at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. According to Dickie, it would not have been feasible to host the University Cup in Wolfville. "We wouldn't have been able to get the bid without accommodations, of which there aren't enough locally, and the seating capacity of our arena isn't large enough. When the tournament was last in Halifax in 2016, 43,000 tickets were sold."

With the Scotiabank Centre less than an hour away, Acadia was more than happy to partner with them and with Sports Entertainment Atlantic. "Hosting national championships in Halifax has become part of the (SEA) inventory," Dickie says. "We're fortunate to be able to partner with them."

In its ability to successfully host national championships, Acadia has been "very fortunate to have the friends and partners we have." In terms of the University Cup, SEA "is handling the things that are Halifax-specific. Our job has been to bring the 'Acadia flavour' to Halifax."

Acadia Athletics, Dickie points out, has "a 'crack staff', always willing to go the extra mile." After hosting women's soccer and rugby nationals at Acadia, "we've got that part down," but in terms of hosting large off-site events, the staff is limited due to their lack of numbers. "Now we get to go 60 extra miles."

The eight-team University Cup field will include three AUS teams – UNB (the number-one team in the country all season), Acadia and either Saint Mary's or Moncton. To Dickie, "it's absolutely an advantage (for both organization and promotion) to have three teams from this conference."

Chris Larsen, President of Sports Entertainment Atlantic, agrees. "To my mind, U-Sports hockey is the best you'll see outside the NHL, and some of the best hockey in the country is in this conference."

Atlantic universities, Larsen says, "are quite keen to partner with us" in hosting national events. "We take on all of the financial risk and most of the organizational responsibility." The host university's role, which is equally important, is to muster local support, interest and enthusiasm.

And in this regard, "nothing against other schools, but nobody engages in the support of the organization like Acadia does. It all stems from Kevin's leadership."

Acadia, Larsen says, "has been a great asset to the organization of this tournament," primarily in terms of "rallying the Valley to get engaged. Acadia probably only has 500 season ticket holders," and yet, as of March 3, "we've already sold almost 250 full tournament packages."

The University Cup shifting to an eight-team, single-knockout format in 2015 has made a huge difference in the intensity level of the tournament, Larsen says. "They fixed what had been a bad format for years." Now, "the reality is that unless you bring your A game to (the first game you play), you could be done."

As a result, the intensity in most games "is at the level of overtime in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. Every mistake is magnified. There's a battle royal for every loose puck."

Fans at the University Cup "will experience some of the best hockey they're likely to see outside of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Intensity is a sometimes-overused description, but that's the level we're likely to see." And with a perennial favorite like Alberta not in the field this time, "seeding will be crucial."

Axemen head coach Darren Burns agreed "seeding is important, but you have to be ready regardless. With the 'one and done' format, there's no room for error, and focus is very important."

After an unimpressive 2018-2019 campaign that featured "14 new players" on the roster, "likely not many people expected much out of us this season," Burns says, but the Axemen started strong and weathered a rough second half to finish second behind UNB and earn a first-round playoff bye.

"Maybe we've surprised a few people, but we believe in ourselves and what we're trying to accomplish." He believes Acadia can have an impact at the University Cup. "We need to keep within ourselves and do our thing the best we can."

The AUS final was headed to a third and deciding game after both Acadia and UNB scored solid road wins, the Axemen 3-1 in Fredericton (with conference MVP Logan Flodell making 52 saves) and the Reds 6-0 in Wolfville. Win or lose, Burns said, "we've had a great season, and it's not over yet."

Winning the conference, and the higher U-Cup seed that goes along with it, "is a huge deal. This is the best conference in the country. We get to play a 'tune-up' for nationals against the number-one team in Canada. It doesn't get much better than that. You get better when you play the best."

Playing in the AUHC, he says, "challenges you every game. There are no easy match-ups" – which is a big part of why AUS teams have had their share of recent success at the University Cup.

Across the country, "schools realize that in order to compete, you have to get better. To do that, you have to look at the top teams. That's the bar that's been set, and it's been set pretty high."