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BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 21, 2015Red BerensonAndrew CoppZach HymanDETROIT, MICHIGAN MINNESOTA – 4 COACH BERENSON: From our perspective, it was a great college hooky game. It was an end‑to‑end game. Minnesota jumped us I thought in the first period and Steve had to play really well and we got going in the second and we ended up with a 2‑1 lead and lost that and gave up a power play goal to decide the game. There wasn't much to choose. I was proud of our team. I thought they played hard and that they played well, just not well enough. Minnesota is a good team and they deserved to win. Q. Such a great game to watch. In your eyes, what was the difference? ZACH HYMAN: Yeah, I mean, it's tough, they startedout, we had even pace. They had one even strength (ph) goal, and that was the difference. We both had power play goals each in the first period, and they got the last goal. Q. Just talk about Steve's game out there today. ZACH HYMAN: Yeah, I mean, he kept us in the game, first period there, shooting us pretty heavily. At the end of that period, game would have been over then. He kept us in it. Q. What did you guys talk about in between the periods to get yourself going? ZACH HYMAN: We knew they were a fast game, they were faster than any other team they played, fast on the ice and need to have a jump and we ended the period well and we thought that where he could come in the second period and take it to them with speed. Q. How much was playing three games in three days, how much did that take effect in that third period? ZACH HYMAN: I don't know, I think they were well conditioned. I don't know if it played that much‑‑ I think we felt fine. Q. Looking back at your time with this program, what are you going to remember, and how do you think your senior class did this year, or over their career? ZACH HYMAN: Yeah, definitely proud of my teammates, every guy is a competitor and made me better, obviously my coaches. Those guys made they better every year and I improved every year because of them. I mean, the fans, we have the best fans in the country. Those things I'm going to remember for sure. Q. How would you best summarize this season for the Wolverines? ZACH HYMAN: I don't think right now is the proper time to ask that question. Tonight just came up short. I think we achieved some things this year. You know, I had some really good runs, also was a little inconsistent. All in all, I mean, I don't think anyone can be overly happy with our year but we accomplished a lot of things that we set out to. Q. Q.The first and second period were so different. Talk about the adjustments you made offensively and defensively? ZACH HYMAN: We knew they were a fast team we were going to have to adjust from playing Michigan State to playing them, it's going to be a little bit of an adjustment. And after the break, we got adjusted and we acquainted with their speed, and second period it was pretty even. Q. As tough as is this, how proud are you of the team for the way they played the last three days and tonight to give that type of effort? ANDREW COPP: Yeah, I think we were kind of‑‑ if you look at the last, or the last ten games going into this tournament, I think we were 4‑6. I mean, we showed up, had the right attitude and mentality. Thursday and Friday were pretty good days for us and we were pretty confident going into today just to keep the momentum rolling. Just bounce didn't go our way. We didn't play our best. But we felt like we played good enough to win. Really proud of our team and the way we responded this weekend after maybe a little bumpy run to end the season. Q. Can you tell me how proud you are of these guys to get this close and be able to rally and play well this weekend and make a real run at it? ZACH HYMAN: Yeah, I mean, the last two games we played really well. I mean, I'm really proud of everyone, the guys in the locker room. I'm upset because my career is over here. I'm not upset because of the way we played. We laid it all on the line and that's why you don't want to leave your season on one game. Anything can happen and they got the last goal. Q. You've been talking about what Zach has been giving you in terms of the strength of his play. The goalie score, what went into that? COACH BERENSON: Well, you could see how he drove the net and he had a guy on his back. He just powered through the trap to the front of the net and then beat the goalie like he single‑handedly tried to take the team on his back, and he's been doing that all year. And it's been a pleasure for me to coach him and watch him emerge as the player he's become, and as a person and so on. But you know, it was the one goal‑‑ he had another chance in the third period. And you know, we had our chances. In the third period, Alex had a breakaway the first minute OF the first period; that puck goes in, it's a whole different game, but it didn't. J.T. had a rebound chance on a Copp short‑handed rush that didn't go in. We needed to capitalize on one of those chances to get the go‑ahead goal and we couldn't get it, and sure enough, they did. Q. Considering how good their power play is, are you a little disappointed with some of the penalties that you took that gave them an opportunity? COACH BERENSON: Yeah, I don't know if they were good penalties or not. Some of them, we couldn't see. Some of them made me draw the penalty because of their speed, but we weren't trying to take penalties, believe me. We were trying to play a five‑on‑five game. Q. Second straight year the team has played three games in three days and lost the championship. Is that a big factor in this tournament? Is that something that needs to be looked at? COACH BERENSON: All credit‑‑ it didn't happen last year. We lost in the first game last year against Penn State. But three games in three nights, the first time we've had to do that in a while. I thought our team played hard and played well. There's enough emotion. They had enough left in the tank. I mean, these guys have been terrific. So we can't use that as an excuse. Q. This is the third time in three years that you guys have come within one game of making the NCAA Tournament. Does this sting a little more? COACH BERENSON: Sure it stings. We put ourselves in this spot and we couldn't dig out of it. We'll talk about it more once it sinks in. But you know, it is what it is. Q. That being said, can you talk about just how proud you are of these guys who rallied around each other here and came so close? COACH BERENSON: Well, they have been great. One thing about coaching that makes coaching worthwhile is when everybody really buys into the team and how they have to play and how they have to work and how the commitment they make, and you know, they are full‑time students as well as athletes. But when these guys really make up their mind and do it right and do it the right way; and I think they have been doing it the right way, then it makes you proud, even though they lose. I don't look losing, but you know, sometimes the puck doesn't go in. And we got better goalkeeping than we got all year. I thought we got a better team effort than we got all year this weekend. So maybe it was a sense of urgency finally that hit our team and they were really good. They showed it; last night, they were really good and tonight we weren't really good. Q. What is it aboutSteve; he played very well in the post‑season in his career. This post‑season, does that give you more confidence going forward? COACH BERENSON: Well, I know he can play well. We've seen it before. We've seen it again, and this is good for Steve. We'll worry about next year going forward when it looks like we won't have anymore games this year. So it's too bad but it's a good way for him to finish. He showed everybody that he can play and he can play in big games and he can help you in a big game. So he gave us a chance tonight. That's the one thing you want against a team like this. They are as good as anybody, and he was right there. So good for him. Q. You said one of your favorite parts about coaching is watching players develop as people and hockey players. How satisfied have you been with the growth of your team overall from October until this point? COACH BERENSON: Well, I think we didn't start off very well, so it was‑‑ we had to get better. But we did. And particularly from Christmas on, I thought our team really took off. We had a couple of bad weekends, but for the most part, our team really came up and our young guys came up. I mean, who would have thought Martin would be playing regular, the way he has, as an unknown coming in and so on. I could go through our lineup; and it wasn't just the freshmen, it was the seniors, as well, and so on. So we had a good team effort. Look, I don't want to take any‑‑ more‑‑ time, this podium should be for the winners, okay. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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