The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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a lot those first two years, and I just tried to take in as much as possible and learn as much as I could, and be ready for when I got the opportu- nity. I always believed in myself, al- ways believed I could do what I am doing now. But it's all about earning that opportunity. "It's hard to get a little bit of a sniff and then all of a sudden you're on a shorter leash and you're not sure why, but I knew that someday if I kept working hard and doing what my coaches asked of me that I would get that extended opportunity, and I wasn't going to waste that chance." Hyman's play this season is not a complete surprise — he began to hit his stride in the second half of his junior year — but to be putting up such gaudy numbers probably didn't seem realistic to anyone out- side the program. "Through his first 114 games, his first three years, he had 13 goals, and now he has [16 goals through 24 games]," said radio analyst and former Wolverine Bill Trainor, seem- ingly shaking his head in amaze- ment. "He had seven goals last year, but remember, [five] of them came in the last [15] games. "Halfway through his junior year, you could really see him tak- ing that step, and I think it was confidence in accepting and under- standing his role, and then flour- ishing in that role, but I don't know if any of us saw this type of pro- duction coming." Head coach Red Berenson was proud that even when Hyman wasn't scoring goals and didn't have a big offensive role on the team, he was still putting in the work. "Everything didn't fall into place for him here his first year, and he had to learn how to play without the puck and how to play with intensity, and yet he always worked hard," Berenson said. "He brought a work ethic that was solid." Hyman was making some strides in his junior season, but he was still resigned to the third and fourth lines, contributing two goals and two assists in his first 20 games, in- cluding 12- and seven-game goal droughts. Then, on Jan. 23, 2014, he moved from wing to center, receiving a shot in the arm — he would tally a goal and two assists in his next four games — and then another move, back to right wing, alongside center Andrew Copp and left wing Tyler Motte really jumpstarted Hyman. "It was almost around this time last year where Coach moved me from right wing to center, and maybe that little switch triggered something," Hyman said. "It was like, 'Ok, I'm just going to be the third-line center and play this role to the best of my ability' and then things just started happening offensively. "Some of the bounces I wasn't get- ting my freshman and sophomore year were suddenly going in. And then the light bulb went on for me. I took off from there. That really pro- pelled me into my senior year." Berenson has experienced far more than his share of early exits from Michigan — 18 alone since 2000, in- cluding three that left U-M not for