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2B — January 12, 2015
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

in the net.”

The Golden Gophers seemed 

to answer nearly every time 
Michigan found twine, but for-
ward Connor Reilly’s goal in 
the closing minute of the second 
period seemed to be the final 
threat. Forward A.J. Michaelson 
scored from the slot with under 
three minutes remaining, but 
neither his nor Reilly’s tally was 
enough to overcome the Wolver-
ines’ well-cushioned lead.

“It’s tough to win up in Min-

neapolis, so holding serve here 

at Yost is really important for 
us,” Copp said. “You know, 
and in Pairwise (rankings) and 
NCAA 
implications, 
I 
don’t 

know where we’re at but we’re 
right on the borderline now, and 
if we keep playing the way we’re 
playing, we’ll find ourselves in 
the tournament.”

Earlier in the week, Beren-

son said he wouldn’t celebrate 
his 800th victory, but a sweep 
of Minnesota is enough to make 
even the most stoic of coaches 
crack a smile.

“I just had my 75th birthday, 

and I didn’t celebrate that, and I 
didn’t celebrate New Years and 
I didn’t even celebrate the GLI,” 
Berenson said after Wednesday’s 

practice. “I mean, I was glad. To 
me, the best part of the GLI is 
in the locker room for the two 
or three minutes after the game 
where everyone can sit there and 
say, ‘Wow this is great.’

“They’re sweaty, they’re sore, 

they hurt, they’re tired and 
they’re happy and they’re ful-
filled.”

Exactly 
800 
times 
now, 

Berenson has felt that satis-
faction from walking into a 
locker room and standing over 
a sweaty, sore, hurt, tired and 
happy bunch of Wolverines. He 
won’t admit Saturday’s victory is 
sweeter than another, but this is 
one of many that will be etched 
into the record books.

O

n the second floor 
of Yost Ice Arena is 
the media interview 

room. There are pictures of 
Michigan teams celebrating 
championships, trophies from 
the two Hobey Baker winners, 
awards for the countless 
conference championships and 
national titles.

It has two couches and 

an armchair along the walls 
facing inward. There’s a blue, 
leather armchair, just like one a 
grandfather 
would have 
fallen asleep 
in, at the 
head of the 
room. It 
faces the 
trophies 
and the 
pictures and 
the people 
who have 
come to 
speak with 
Berenson.

Everything around the 

room, including that blue chair, 
serves as a constant reminder 
about the success at Michigan. 
Berenson doesn’t keep plaques 
or trophies for reaching 800 
wins, because he cares more 
about seeing his players 
graduate with a degree than he 
does about cranking out draft 

picks. He keeps those awards 
because he cares about his team 
more.

“He’s always hungry, always 

looking for the next best thing,” 
said junior forward Andrew 
Copp.

His wins have never been 

about himself. Berenson will 
be quick to remind you he’s 
got a creative, offensive mind 
in assistant head coach Brian 
Wiseman and an experienced 
defensive leader in associate 
coach Billy Powers that make 
him look smart.

He has had players like Jack 

Johnson, Marty Turco, Brendan 

Morrison 
and Mike 
Knuble, all of 
whom played 
some of their 
best hockey 
for him. 
Berenson’s 
biggest 
smile on the 
night of his 
800th win 
came when 
he realized 

Knuble was in the back of the 
interview room, watching his 
coach dismiss how big a feat he 
accomplished.

“I think it’s good before 

it became too much of a 
conversation piece,” Berenson 
said. “It’s not really about me, 
but something happens like this 
every 100 games, I guess.”

Added senior forward Zach 

Hyman: “Someone asked him, 
‘You’re at 799, did you know 
that?’ And he responded with, 
‘Yeah, if you’re counting.’ So 
he’s a humble guy, and you don’t 
see it on his face a lot.”

***

T

he horn sounded on 
Saturday evening and 
the camera panned to 

Berenson, not to the team’s 
celebration. He exhaled, as if 
winning his 800th game was a 
relief.

The crowd chanted “Thank 

you, Red,” while the student 
section bowed in appreciation. 
Berenson gave a slight wave 
to the crowd, but was no more 
excited than any other win. He 
walked off the ice and into a 
locker room applauding him.

“You look around the locker 

room and you feel better about 
the guys you’re playing with, 
you feel better about your 
team,” Berenson said in the 
locker room after the game. 
“That’s how I feel as a coach.”

Win No. 800 doesn’t feel 

much different than win No. 1, 
because each one is about the 
success of the Michigan hockey 
team.

So now, Berenson is most 

excited that everyone will 
finally be able to move past 
the milestone. He can focus on 
beating Ohio State next for win 
No. 801.

You know, if you’re counting.

Zach Hyman deserves 

your attention

C

utler Martin glided 
on one leg toward his 
teammates after netting 

the overtime 
game-win-
ner Friday, 
securing 
the Michi-
gan hockey 
team’s come-
back win 
over No. 9 
Minnesota.

Everyone 

had watched 
as Martin 
buried the shot that ended the 
series opener.

But nobody had seen the 

player who set up the dramatic 
tally, the player who embraced 
him in a bear hug after the goal: 
Zach Hyman.

Hyman, a senior forward, 

tallied six points in the sweep. 
Both nights, he led the team 
with six shots and finished 
plus-four in the series.

Yet the individual 

performance — which came 
against one of the best defenses 
in the country — was typical 
for the alternate captain, who 
surpassed his career best in 
points just 15 games into his 
senior season.

The numbers tell us Zach 

Hyman is worthy of Hobey 
Baker-type attention.

Hyman now leads Michigan 

and the Big Ten in points, 
while his 11 goals rank first 
on the team and second in 
the conference. And after 
upping his season total to an 
impressive 26 points in 19 
games, the Florida Panthers 
prospect is now No. 5 in scoring 
in the country.

Hyman is consistent. He’s 

clutch. He’s fast. He’s capable 
of leading a talent-filled roster 
at any level.

Right now, Zach Hyman is 

the player who deserves the 
most attention from opposing 
defenses. His teammates know 
that, even if he won’t take the 
credit.

“I’m fortunate to be playing 

with really good players,” 
Hyman said Saturday. “The 
puck is going in for me right 
now, and that’s always nice to 
see.”

And if you pay just a little 

more attention to the No. 11 
jersey, you’ll see Hyman’s 
contributions extend beyond 
the box score.

With just under 12 minutes 

remaining in the third frame 
Friday, junior forward Andrew 
Copp sent Minnesota forward 
Kyle Rau into the boards, and 
roughed several Gophers en 
route to the penalty box. He 
was tossed from the game 
and, after three minutes of 
the five-minute penalty kill, 
junior goaltender Steve Racine 
had allowed two goals, giving 
Minnesota a sudden 3-2 lead.

So while the captain watched 

from the locker room, Hyman 
became general of the offense, 
finding junior forward Justin 
Selman to regain the tie 
midway through the period.

“I didn’t even see the goal,” 

Hyman said Friday.

That’s because as he threw 

the puck in front of the net, 
Hyman was already on his 
back, falling into the boards.

Hyman isn’t the kind of 

player who demands attention; 
he’s the kind 
that deflects 
it to his 
teammates.

“(Freshman 

defenseman 
Zach 
Werenski) 
made that 
play, and then 
I don’t know 
how I got the 
puck, but I 
luckily got the puck, and I just 
wanted to take it wide on their 
‘D,’” he said of his own tally.

Playing alongside the 15th 

overall pick in the 2014 NHL 
Draft in freshman Dylan Larkin 
means Hyman’s success has 
often been associated with the 
center.

At the Great Lakes 

Invitational, without brand-
name players like Larkin and 
Werenski, it was Hyman who 
anchored a blue-collar effort 
in Michigan’s first title since 
his freshman year. On a new 
line, Hyman added game-
winning goals against both 
Michigan Tech and Michigan 
State, contributing half of the 
Wolverines’ offense.

Simply put, Hyman is the 

kind of player Michigan needs 
to model its offense after if it 
wants to win against gritty 
teams like Michigan Tech and 
Minnesota in a postseason run.

“If you look at the stats 

here, one goal, three assists, 
six shots,” Larkin said Friday. 

“You can tell he’s stepping up 
and taking our team to the next 
level. It’s fun to watch, and he 
is fun to play with.”

On Saturday, with five 

minutes remaining in the first 
period, Hyman, pinned to the 
boards, won a puck from his 
knees, drawing a penalty before 
skating around to fire a shot 
before the whistle sounded.

Three seconds and one pass 

later, the unit scored a power-
play goal.

At times, Hyman makes 

players like Copp and 
sophomore forward JT 
Compher, U.S. National Team 
Development Program players 
who have received their share 
of media attention well before 
stepping foot onto campus, look 
mediocre.

With 42.7 seconds remaining 

in the period, the alternate 
captain took a puck through 
the neutral zone, splitting 

two Gophers 
defenders en 
route to an 
unassisted 
goal.

“I know 

he’s fast,” 
Martin said. 
“He’s the 
fastest kid on 
our team, for 
sure.”

None of 

this, though, should come as a 
surprise to those who follow 
Michigan hockey closely.

Hyman has long been 

known as one of the hardest 
workers and one of the better 
two-way players on the team. 
His 17-point junior season 
was a career best, which is 
noteworthy considering he 
spent time at both center and 
winger.

When he isn’t scoring 

or offering praise for his 
linemates, Hyman is listening 
and leading by example.

During a goal review in the 

second period, Hyman stood 
alone in the crease talking with 
Racine before skating back to 
the Michigan bench to deliver a 
message to Berenson.

Several minutes later, Racine 

left the game due to a foot 
injury and was replaced by 
sophomore Zach Nagelvoort.

It was Hyman who paid 

attention to Racine.

It’s time to start paying 

attention to Zach Hyman.

PAUL SHERMAN/Daily

Zach Hyman has put together a strong senior campaign with a team-high 11 goals and 15 assists in 19 games.

ERIN
LENNON

“You can tell he’s 
stepping up and 
taking our team 
to the next level.”

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Red Berenson earned his 800th win Saturday when the Michigan hockey team completed a sweep of Minnesota.

BERENSON
From Page 1B

SPORTSMONDAY
From Page 1B

“He’s always 
hungry, always 
looking for the 
next best thing.”

