Hammy’s Banner Year:

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Hammy’s banner year!

by viper staff Added 2009-06-03

By anybody’s standards, Andrew Hammond had a tremendous 2008-09 season, and he’s earned every accolade he’s received.

Let’s review his banner year. Installed as the Vipers’ starting goalie in training camp, he met and exceeded his coaches’ expectations with 27 wins, 5 shut outs, a goals against average (GAA) of 2.30, and a save percentage of 91.22 in the regular season. He was especially strong after Christmas, winning 11 of 13 starts and posting a sparkling GAA of 1.53. That success carried on into the post-season, when he won 21 of 26 starts, had a GAA of 1.59, and logged an amazing save percentage of 94.05. Although smart positioning and good anticipation of the play allowed him to make the majority of his saves, he displayed his athleticism while making unbelievable saves at critical points in games.

Andrew’s most sensational effort came in the third period of the third Doyle Cup game in Grande Prairie. With the score 2-1 for the Vipers and the Grande Prairie pressing for the equalizer, he robbed sniper Zahn Raubenheimer who had Andrew at his mercy. Raubenheimer went upstairs, but Andrew used a spectacular, desperate “Spoke Save” to keep the Vipers ahead. That save is featured in the photograph that accompanies this article.

Andrew learned that manoeuvre from professional goaltending coach Pasco Valana, to whom Andrew gives a lot of credit for his development as a goalie.

Something of a late bloomer, Andrew Hammond played one game as an 18-year old with the Westside Warriors in 2006-07, and then 32 games with the Surrey Eagles in 2007-2008, before losing his starter’s role and being traded to Vernon where his 2.45 GAA was a full goal better than his 3.44 average in Surrey.

Back home in White Rock during the summer of 2008, he worked harder than he ever had, determined to become the go-to netminder in Vernon. In addition to working on technique, fitness, and focus, he learned to improve his peripheral vision, so that he could anticipate threats coming from the edges of his visual field. This visual training paid off in spades; time and time again, he was able to slide over and be ready for quick one-timers that resulted from cross-ice passes to open shooters. A prime example was a stop he made to preserve a shutout in the Vipers’ third playoff win over Salmon Arm on March 27. Seeing Travis Briard in an open position out of the corner of his eye, Andrew slid across as the pass was being made, and he stopped Briard’s wicked one-timer with ease.

Clearly, Andrew Hammond was essential to the Vipers’ success this year. However, he points to team dynamics as the key factor: “the culture in the room, the genuine love and respect we have for each other, that’s what took us to that championship moment, I think.” In a typically honest moment, he adds that it wasn’t always smooth and easy: “at times this year fans second-guessed us and we even second-guessed ourselves. Sometimes you think you know more than the coach and then three days later, you find you knew nothing and the coach knew exactly what was happening. Taking to heart what Mark and Jason taught us has taken this team a long way.”

Ever the cerebral athlete, Andrew taxed his brain (and his time management skills) to the limit after Christmas as he took four difficult university-transfer classes at Okanagan College; these classes in English literature, university writing, philosophy, and economics ensured that Andrew had absolutely no spare time when combined with his Viper commitments. Often, big assignments and exams coincided with game days, and there were times when Andrew felt overwhelmed, but he somehow managed a C, two Bs, and an A.

It took Andrew until late in his final year of junior to achieve his goal of attaining an NCAA scholarship, but he believes that having that unfulfilled goal helped motivate him to play his best. Also, he says, “It’s a good thing that I didn’t get a scholarship earlier and leave when I was 19. Being in the league an extra year really helped me.”

Andrew accepted Bowling Green University’s scholarship offer in early March. He says that “Bowling Green treated me well from day one. It felt like a good fit going there.” He looks forward to meeting Hunter Bishop, whose Ohio State Buckeyes play in the same conference as the Bowling Green Falcons. It might be a tall order, though – this year the Buckeyes took all four conference games from the Falcons.

As he prepares to leave Vernon, Andrew’s final thoughts are for the fans. “We never thought that 200 fans would show up at the rink four days after we won the Cup. It shows how great our fans are and how much they appreciate the Vipers, and we wouldn’t be here without them. We made a commitment this year and so did the fans. Look at all those fans who showed up in Powell River and Grande Prairie and Victoria, especially Victoria. Their support really helped!”

Next week, this series about the Vipers’ departing heroes will feature James Kerr. In subsequent weeks, look for stories about Cameron Brodie, Mike Leidl, Ryan Santana, and Kyle Bigos