The Owen Sound Attack pass the quarter pole of the OHL season tonight when they visit Guelph to face the Storm.
The Attack have accumulated 25 of a possible 34 points over the first quarter of the season and lead the MidWest Division.
There are many factors for the first quarter success for Owen Sound, but the least publicized factor is the contribution of Andrew Hopf.
In a shuffling of the deck in the off season, General Manager Dale DeGray substituted 2 assistant coaches with one assistant coach, Terry Virtue, plus added a strength & conditioning coach- Andrew Hopf.
In a fascinating chat last weekend before the Attack’s second game at Erie, Hopf outlined the program, the concept, the challenges, the ups & downs of performance and the benefits he believes will be derived from the increased focus on fitness.
Hopf, who comes to Owen Sound once a week, explains a hockey player loses 5 percent of muscle mass over the course of the season, and keeping that muscle tone up is key.
He talked about the challenge of designing programs for 25 Attack players; for example, what may come easily for Daniel Zweep is difficult for Gemmel Smith and conversely, what Gemmel can do with ease is a challenge for Daniel.
Interestingly, Hopf says he lives and dies with the Attack results, and any defeat brings a significant re-evaluation of the week gone by.
And ultimately, Andrew Hopf stresses the process is ongoing and is designed to build the biggest gas tank possible for the Attack and come playoff time, that fitness level should pay off in a big way.
I’m Fred Wallace