Jan. 6, 2011
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame freshman left wing Anders Lee (Edina, Minn.) has been named the Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) national rookie of the month for his play during the month of December. He becomes the second Irish player to receive the award, joining fellow freshman T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.) who was the November HCA rookie of the month.
Lee, the CCHA rookie of the month for December, led all rookie scorers both in the conference and nationally in scoring during December with two goals and six assists for eight points in five games and was +4 overall for Notre Dame. His point totals were second in the CCHA overall to Tynan who had nine points in December on five goals and four assists.
During December, the 6-3, 218-pound forward scored in four of Notre Dame’s five games with multiple point games three times, including a career-best, three-assist game as the Irish overcame a two-goal deficit on Dec. 3 in a 5-4 win at Miami. Against Northern Michigan at home on Dec. 11-12, Lee assisted on one goal in at 3-2 loss to the Wildcats and followed that with the game-winning goal and an assist in the 5-2 win over the Wildcats on Dec. 12. He closed out December with another two-point game (1g, 1a) in the 10-2 win over Canisius on Dec. 29.
A sixth-round draft choice, 152nd overall of the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Lee also was selected as the CCHA rookie of the month in October. He is third among Notre Dame scorers with 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points and is +8 for the season. He has three power-play goals and two game winners while leading the team in shots on goal with 91. He is second among all CCHA freshmen in scoring and is fourth nationally.
Lee’s teammate, Tynan, was an honorable mention selection as the HCA national player of the month in December, after his nine-point month. He lost out on the honor to senior forward Tyler Johnson of Colorado College who had 14 points (7g, 7a) in December, including four consecutive game-winning goals for the Tigers.
Tynan, the CCHA rookie of the week for games played the week of Dec. 27 was the CCHA player of the month in December, becoming the first freshman to take the honor since March of 2006 when goaltender Jeff Lerg won the honor for Michigan State.
For the year, Tynan, a 5-8, 156-pound center leads the Irish in scoring with 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points in the first 22 games of the season. He has three power-play goals, two short-handed goals and two game winners while leading the team with a +13 mark. He leads the CCHA and the nation in rookie scoring and is third in both the conference and nationally overall with his 29 points. His 14 goals are tops in the CCHA and tie him for fifth in the country.
Lee and Tynan and their Notre Dame teammates return to CCHA action this weekend – January 7-8 – when they travel to Marquette, Mich., for a pair of games with the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Game time both nights at the Berry Events Center is 7:35 p.m. The Irish are ranked #12th in the nation are 12-7-3 overall and 9-4-1-1 in the CCHA, good for 29 points in the standings, one point ahead of second-place Michigan and two ahead of third-place Miami with 14 games left on the schedule.