Nov. 2, 2011
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame sophomore left wing Anders Lee (Edina, Minn.) has been selected as the RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Month for October.
The 6-3, 227-pound left wing has helped the fourth-ranked Irish get off to a strong 5-2 start this season as he has scored at least one goal in all seven games, with a two-goal effort and a hat trick thrown in for good measure. After seven contests, Lee leads both the conference and the nation with 10 goals and has added three assists for 13 points. He trails only teammate T.J. Tynan (So., Orland Park, Ill.) for the conference lead in points as Tynan has 14 on two goals and 12 assists. Lee ranks second in the CCHA with three power-play goals as the schedule rolls into November. His seven-game goal and point streaks are career highs for the Irish forward.
Lee got his season off to a fast start on the road at Minnesota-Duluth on Oct. 7-8. He scored his first goal of the season in the opening night 4-3 loss to the Bulldogs. He followed that with the first of four multiple-point games (1g, 1a) in a 5-3 come-from-behind win at Duluth as Notre Dame erased a 2-0 deficit with five unanswered goals.
A 2009 sixth-round draft choice of the New York Islanders, Lee recorded his first multiple-goal game and second multiple-point contest with two goals and an assist in a 5-2 home win versus Ohio State. Again the Irish trailed 2-0 before rallying with five goals. His first goal of the night was the game winner, the eighth of his career.
Lee continued his hot play in the second Ohio State game as he led a late Notre Dame rally that fell short in a 4-3 loss in the final game played at the Joyce Center. The Irish fell behind, 4-0, in this game only to score three third-period goals with Lee lighting the lamp once and setting up another for his third multiple-point game of the young season.
On Oct. 21, the talented left wing helped open the Compton Family Ice Arena in grand style as he collected the second hat trick of his career in the 5-2 win over Rensselaer. Lee scored the first-ever goal in the new building at 9:31 of the first period. His second goal at 1:09 of the second period put Notre Dame ahead to stay, 2-1, and his final goal was into an empty net with 1:20 left in the game to seal the victory. He also had a fourth goal disallowed in the third period as the officials ruled that he had directed the puck into the goal with a high stick.
Lee closed out October by helping Notre Dame to a road sweep at Bowling Green on Oct. 28-29. He scored the first goal on the power play in Friday’s 3-1 win and then scored the game-tying power-play goal in Saturday’s 3-2 win as the Irish bounced back from a 2-1 deficit to win their third consecutive game.
A preseason all-CCHA first team selection in 2011-12, the former Green Bay Gambler was selected to the CCHA’s all-rookie team following the 2010-11 season and was a second team all-CCHA selection after leading the Irish with 24 goals and finishing second in scoring with 44 points. As a freshman, Lee was named the CCHA rookie of the month three times last season (Oct., Dec., and Feb.) and was the national rookie of the month in December.
Lee and his teammates return to action this weekend on the road as they travel to Marquette, Mich., for a pair of games versus the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Nov. 4-5. Game time both nights at the Berry Events Center is 7:35 p.m.