March 1, 2011
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame freshman left wing Anders Lee (Edina, Minn.) has been named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s (CCHA) Rookie of the Month for February. This marks the third time this season that Lee has earned rookie of the month honors.
During the month of February, Lee tied teammate T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.) for the scoring lead among CCHA rookies with seven points while helping the Irish to a 5-1-0 record. Lee scored three goals with four assists while Tynan had a goal and six assists for his seven points. Among his three goals were two game-winning goals and a power-play marker. The seven-point month, covering six games, gives the 6-3, 218-pound forward 21 goals and 19 assists for 40 points and makes him the 12th freshman in the history of the Notre Dame program to record 40 or more points in a season.
Lee’s 21 goals make him the first Irish freshmen with 20 or more goals since Ryan Thang `10 scored 20 goals in his rookie year of 2006-07. The 21 goals are the most by a Notre Dame player since Rob Globke `04, picked up 21 goals in the 2002-03 season.
The talented left wing opened the month with a game-winning goal and an assist in Notre Dame’s 2-1 home win versus Bowling Green on Feb. 11. That earned him a Perani Cup first star for the game. The following night, Lee picked up two assists in a 5-1 Irish win. He was named the CCHA rookie of the week for the third time this for his play in those two games.
On Feb. 18-19 at Ferris State, Lee was held to just one assist on the weekend while Notre Dame was sweeping the Bulldogs, 3-2 and 5-2, in that series.
The former Green Bay Gambler then closed out the month with two goals, including the game winner in the 3-2 Irish win at Western Michigan, again earning Perani First Star honors in the Notre Dame win. He was then shut out in the regular-season finale at home where the Irish fell to Western Michigan, 2-0.
For the season, Lee’s 40 points rank him second on the Irish in scoring and he leads the team with 21 goals. He is tied for the team lead with six power-play goals and leads the team with six game-winning goals, which ties him for the CCHA lead in that department. Lee is second in the nation among freshmen in scoring, trailing just Tynan (46-40) while his 21 goals is tops among freshmen goal scorers.
Notre Dame finished the regular season with a 21-10-5 overall record and was second in the CCHA with an 18-7-3-2 record, good for 59 points, two behind first-place Michigan.
The Irish have a bye in the opening round of the 2011 CCHA playoffs this weekend and will return to action in the second round with a home series at the Joyce Center on the weekend of March 11-13.
2010-11 CCHA Rookies of the Month
February - Anders Lee, F, Notre DameJanuary - Chase Balisy, F, Western MichiganDecember - Anders Lee, F, Notre DameNovember - T.J. Tynan, F, Notre DameOctober - Anders Lee, F, Notre Dame