Burns happy with first half Acadia finish

BY JOHN DECOSTE

Kings County Register

The start and the middle might have left a bit to be desired, but Acadia hockey Axemen head coach Darren Burns is pleased with the way his team finished the first half of their AUHC schedule.

The Axemen, with 14 first-year players, gave Burns cause for optimism, closing out with two straight wins - three wins in the last four games.

Acadia is still last in the conference, with four wins and 10 losses for nine points, but the Axemen are just one point behind seventh-place Dalhousie, three back of sixth-place UPEI and four behind fifth-place St. Thomas.

“To have two or three more points at this stage of the season would have been more ideal, but we are who we are.”

Burns has set his team’s sights on securing a playoff berth. After the Axemen lost nine of their first 10 games, he altered his focus to “giving ourselves a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. Now we’re right back in the mix.”

Not that Burns is completely satisfied with the play of the Axemen.

“We still need to get better, but I have seen lots of improvement in recent games.”

He felt players turned in a good effort in their final first-half game against Dal, a well-deserved 4-2 Axemen win.

“Our fourth line scored two goals against Dal, and it’s always great when that happens.”

While Burns “has never been one to make excuses,” the truth is, the Axemen are a little behind the eight-ball this season with 14 brand new faces, and first-half injuries to veterans Pierre Mitsou on defense and goalie Lanny Ramage haven’t helped.

Burns admitted he is “quite happy with the development” of Acadia’s first-year players (as well as the “young veterans” in their second year).

“I thought the guys showed a lot of composure (at times during the first half),” he said. Above all, “they never stopped working, which is grea - and nice to see.” A strong work ethic remains a key to a successful second half. “We need to keep battling.”

Burns suggested there have been “no real surprises” for him so far. “I figured we’d be in the mix in terms of goals against, and we are.”

The Axemen are sixth, ahead of Dal and UPEI, with 57 goals allowed in 14 games, an average of just over four goals a game. Offense, where Acadia is eighth with just 35 goals scored, an average of 2.5 per game, has been more of a problem.

At the same time, Acadia’s 80 per cent efficiency rate on the power play is fifth in the AUHC, and the Axemen are also the league’s least penalized team.

“Keeping our goals against down like we have is a testament to our work ethic and the team pride our guys have,” he said.

He made particular mention of Matt Scrivens, an unrecruited “walk-on” who not only made the team, but has earned himself a regular shift.

“He’s a great kid, and he’s done a good job for us,” he said. “It’s a great year for him to come in here.”

Burns stresses Acadia “needs to be better overall” in the second half. “We need to keep building on what we’ve done so far. We’ve worked hard and I think we’re starting to turn things around, but we can’t stop working now.”