Sept. 27, 2011
Farmington Hills, Mich. – The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) announced today its first and second preseason all-conference teams as selected by the head coaches of the 11 member teams. Two Notre Dame players – sophomores Anders Lee (Edina, Minn.) and T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.) – were the two Irish players selected to the squad with both taking first team honors.
Tynan was one of two players along with Miami’s Reilly Smith to be unanimous selections to the team, getting 10 first-team votes. Lee was right behind them at forward, capturing nine of 10 first-team votes for a total of 48 points.
In all, seven different teams had players selected to the CCHA preseason all-conference teams. Miami led the way with four picks while the Irish, along with Michigan, each had two players chosen. Alaska, Michigan State, Northern Michigan and Western Michigan each had one player named to the teams.
Joining Lee, Smith and Tynan on the first team were Michigan State junior defenseman Torey Krug and Michigan sophomore blue liner Jon Merrill as each of them received nine first-place votes and 48 points. Miami senior netminder Cody Reichard rounded out the first team with five first-place votes and 29 points.
Selected to the second team were forwards Chase Balisy (Western Michigan), Tyler Gron (Northern Michigan) and David Wohlberg of Michigan. A pair of Miami RedHawks – seniors Chris Wideman and Will Weber – were selected to the second team defense and Alaska goaltender Scott Greenham was named second team goaltender.
Tynan returns for his second season with the Irish and is coming off a remarkable rookie year at Notre Dame that saw him lead all freshman in the nation in scoring on his way to being named the Hockey Commissioner’s Association (HCA) National Division I Rookie of the Year. He scored 23 goals and added 31 assists for 54 points, including 16 games with two or more points. He had five power-play goals, two short-handed tallies and a pair of game winners on the season. Tynan led all Irish forwards with a +21 for the year and picked up 36 minutes in penalties. A four-time CCHA rookie of the week, he was selected to the CCHA all-rookie team and was the CCHA rookie of the year. A second team all-CCHA selection, Tynan was the CCHA rookie of the month for November, the RBC Financial Group CCHA player of the month in December and captured Notre Dame’s Monogram Club team most valuable player award, along with the team’s offensive player of the year and rookie of the year honors.
Lee teamed with Tynan for an outstanding one-two rookie punch in 2010-11 as he got his Notre Dame career off to a fast start, leading the team in goals with 24 while finishing second in points with 44, the eighth-best mark by a Notre Dame freshman. The 24 goals were the third most by an Irish rookie. Among his 24 goals were six power-play goals (tied for the team lead), one short-handed goal and seven game winners (tying a single-season Notre Dame record). Lee, who was +19 for the year, was named second team all-CCHA and was selected to the CCHA’s all-rookie team while being Notre Dame’s co-rookie of the year along with T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.). During the season, Lee was a three-time CCHA rookie of the week, a three-time CCHA rookie of the month (Oct., Dec., and Feb.) and the Hockey Commissioner’s Association (HCA) national rookie of the month in December. He capped his season by being named to the NCAA Northeast Regional all-tournament team as he scored twice, including the overtime game winner versus Merrimack and set up a goal in the 2-1 win versus New Hampshire that sent the Irish to the Frozen Four for the second time in the last four years.
The duo will join their teammates to open the 2011-12 season on Sun., Oct. 2 when Notre Dame plays host to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs in a 6:05 p.m. preseason game at the Joyce Center. The Irish then open the regular season with a pair of games on the road at Minnesota-Duluth on Oct. 7-8. Both games start at 7:07 p.m. (CT) from Duluth, Minnesota.
2011-12 CCHA Preseason First Team 2011-12 CCHA Preseason Second Team
Player, Yr., School 1st Totals Pos. Player, Yr., School 1st TotalsReilly Smith, Sr., MIA 10 50 F Chase Balisy, So., WMU 3 32T.J. Tynan, So., ND 10 50 F Tyler Gron, Sr., NMU 1 20Anders Lee, So., ND 9 48 F David Wohlberg, Sr., UM 0 18Torey Krug, Jr., MSU 9 48 D Chris Wideman, Sr., MIA 2 24Jon Merrill, So., UM 9 48 D Will Weber, Sr., MIA 1 18Cody Reichard, Sr., MIA 5 29 G Scott Greenham, Sr., UAF 4 23
Honorable mention (next six point totals, regardless of position with first team votes in parentheses): Kevin Kapalka, So., G, Lake Superior (1), 20; Brett Perlini, Jr., F, Michigan State, 16; Dan DeKeyser, So., D, Western Michigan (1), 14; Matt Tennyson, Jr., D, Western Michigan, 14; Cody Kunyk, So., F. Alaska, 13; Justin Florek, Sr., F, Northern Michigan, 11; Zach Trotman, Jr., D, Lake Superior, 11.