Bowling Green Inks Hammond:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Bowling Green inks Hammond

Andrew Hammond’s numbers speak for themselves. The 20-year-old Vernon Viper netminder’s five shutouts and 2.30 GAA were tops in the B.C. Hockey League.
It was only a matter of time before scouts started making serious offers, and they did last Thursday.
After talking it over with his family, Hammond, a White Rock product, committed to play with the NCAA Division 1 Bowling Green Falcons Sunday night.
“I’m certainly happy about it,” said Hammond, a 6-foot-1, 195-pounder who posted a 27-12-1 record. “It’s something I’ve wanted the whole season.
“It seems like the best fit for me on a hockey level, and it’s pretty good academically, too. I talked to quite a few schools this year, but Bowling Green has really started to push lately.
“As a first-year player, they want me to battle for a spot. I’ll have my opportunities to make a case for myself.”
Hammond, who has yet to visit the campus in northwest Ohio – it’s about a 45-minute drive south of Detroit – hasn’t fully decided what he’ll study, but he mentioned business and aviation as possible options.
The Falcons, who were 11-24-3 heading into Friday action against the Ohio State Buckeyes, boast both Rob Blake of the San Jose Sharks and Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks as products from their program.
With former Viper net detective Bryce Christianson accepting an NCAA scholarship to the University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves just weeks before last year’s trade deadline, the Vipers scrambled to land a replacement, and were fortunate to find one in Hammond.
“He had a very good year, and I’m sure he was a little anxious when he got here (at the deadline),” said Vipers’ head coach Mark Ferner.
“He put in a hard summer of working to make sure he was prepared coming in this year. It (scholarship) looks good on him.
“He’s just a calm person. He never gets too wound up about anything. In games, that’s a good thing for a goalie.”
Case in point, Hammond backstopped the Interior Conference for a period in the BCHL All-Star game at Wesbild Centre in January. Before the game, he said it wasn’t going to be pretty, and after getting lit up for his third or fourth goal – the defence was non-existent in that one – he looked over to the corner, shaking his head and grinning, as if to say: “I told you so.”
Vernon Vipers’ head coach Mark Ferner and assistant coach Jason Williamson have agreed to three-year contract extensions with the Vipers.
Since joining the Vipers in 2007-08, Ferner has posted a regular-season record of 78-34-3-5.
“I am very pleased that we have been able to secure Mark for the next four years,” said Vipers’ owner Dr. Duncan Wray. “He has proven himself to be among the pre-eminent coaches in all of junior hockey as evidenced by his (Coach of the Year)award this season.
“Jason has proven to be a reliable and valuable member of our coaching staff, who is a perfect compliment to Mark’s style. I am extremely proud of his contribution to the ongoing success of our team.
“Vipers players, fans and recruits can rest easy knowing there will be continuity in the organization for the foreseeable future.”