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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.”