March 7, 2012
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame sophomore center T.J. Tynan (Orland Park, Ill.) has been selected first team all-CCHA as the conference announced its all-conference teams this afternoon. Sophomore Anders Lee (Edina, Minn.) received an honorable mention selection and junior center Riley Sheahan (St. Catharine’s, Ont.) received votes in voting done by the conference’s coaches.
Tynan finished third in voting among the forwards, receiving five first-place votes for 40 points.
Tynan, a second team all-CCHA selection as a freshman in 2010-11, becomes the first Notre Dame player ever selected all-CCHA in his first and second seasons of playing hockey for the Irish and is the first, first-team selection since defenseman Ian Cole in 2008-09. Overall, he is Notre Dame’s fourth, first-team selection, joining Cole, David Brown `07 and Benoit Cotnoir’99. Tynan also becomes the first Notre Dame player ever selected to an all-CCHA team twice in his career in the 22 seasons that Notre Dame has been in the CCHA. He joins defenseman Jack Brownschidle `77 as the only Irish players ever selected to two all-conference teams as Brownschidle was a two-time, first-team all-WCHA selection in 1976 and 1977.
The speedy center led the CCHA and Notre Dame in overall scoring all season long and tied Michigan State’s Torey Krug for the conference scoring title with 29 points (nine goals and 20 assists) in 28 conference games this season.
Tynan currently has 13 goals and 28 assists for 41 points in 37 games to lead all CCHA scorers while his 41 points tie him for 14th in the nation in scoring. His 13 goals include five power-play goals, two short-handed tallies and one game winner. He is the first Notre Dame player to put together back-to-back 40-plus point seasons since David Bankoske `93 had 56 points in 1989-90 and 49 in 1990-91. In just two seasons with the Irish, covering 81 games, Tynan has 36 goals and 59 assists for 95 career points.
Lee, a second team all-CCHA selection in 2010-11, takes honorable mention honors as a sophomore after getting one first-place vote and 10 points in the coaches voting. The big left wing leads Notre Dame in goals with 16 and has 17 assists to rank second in scoring on the team with 33 points. His seven power-play goals tie him for the team lead. An alternate captain as a sophomore, Lee was the CCHA’s RBC Financial player of the month for October when he had 10 goals with three assists for 13 points in seven games. His seven-game, goal-scoring streak was a career best and is the longest for any Notre Dame player this season.
Sheahan has had a strong junior season for the Irish and is currently fourth with career highs in goals (9), assists (15), points (24) and power-play goals (5). A strong, two-way player, Sheahan is +1 on the season and is one of the top face-off men in the CCHA. He has five power-play goals, one short-handed marker and a game winner on the season.
Three players from Ferris State, a pair of Northern Michigan forwards, two Western Michigan defensemen and single players from Miami, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Alaska and Michigan highlight the 2011-12 CCHA all-conference team.
This year’s team featured two unanimous selections in Miami junior forward Reilly Smith and Michigan State junior defenseman Torey Krug. Smith led the league in goal scoring with 18 goals in conference play and overall (26). Krug tied for the league lead in points with 29, making him the first defenseman to accomplish that feat since the 1986-87 season. Ferris State senior defenseman Chad Billins earned nine first-place votes after finishing second in conference scoring among defensemen with 25 points and leading the Bulldogs to the CCHA regular-season title.
Rounding out the first team forwards along with Smith and Tynan was Northern Michigan forward Tyler Gron who received seven first-place votes after finishing third in overall scoring with 36 points and fourth in league scoring with 27 points. In goal, Ferris State senior Taylor Nelson received six first-place votes on his way to first team honors. Nelson posted a 2.08 goals-against average and .927 save percentage for the CCHA regular-season champions.
Taking second team honors were senior forwards Justin Florek of Northern Michigan and Jordie Johnston of Ferris State who were joined by Alaska sophomore Cody Kunyk. Western Michigan had two defensemen take second team honors with junior Matt Tennyson and sophomore Dan DeKeyser being selected by the coaches. Michigan senior goaltender Shawn Hunwick was chosen as the second team goaltender for 2011-12.
The team’s were selected in voting by the league’s coaches and are based on performance in conference games. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
2011-12 CCHA All-Conference Teams
First TeamPosition Name (Yr.) School First TotalsForward Reilly Smith (Jr.) Miami 10 50Forward Tyler Gron (Sr.) No. Michigan 7 42Forward T.J. Tynan (So.) Notre Dame 5 40Defense Torey Krug (Jr.) Michigan State 10 50Defense Chad Billins (Sr.) Ferris State 9 48Goaltender Taylor Nelson (Sr.) Ferris State 6 34
Second TeamPosition Name (Yr.) School First TotalsForward Justin Florek (Sr.) No. Michigan 4 34Forward Cody Kunyk (So.) Alaska 2 23Forward Jordie Johnston (Sr.) Ferris State 3 22Defense Dan DeKeyser (So.) Western Michigan 2 20Defense Matt Tennyson (Jr.) Western Michigan -- 20Goaltender Shawn Hunwick (Sr.) Michigan 2 24
Vote Values: 1st place = 5, 2nd place = 3, 3rd place = 1
Honorable Mention (next six point totals, regardless of position with first team votes in parentheses): Connor Knapp, Sr., G, Miami (1) 23; Lee Moffie, Jr., D, Michigan (1), 17; Chris Brown, Jr., F, Michigan (1), 15; Kevin Kapalka, So., G, Lake Superior (2) 13; Anders Lee, So., F, Notre Dame (1) 10; Kyle Follmer, Jr., D, Northern Michigan 10.
Others receiving votes:ââ’¬¯ Alex Guptill, Fr., Michigan, 9; David Wohlberg, Sr., Michigan, 9; Chase Balisy, So., Western Michigan, 8; Chris Wideman, Sr., Miami, 8; Kyle Haines, Sr., Lake Superior, 6; Zach Trotman, Jr., Lake Superior, 6; Matt Kirzinger, Jr., Ferris State, 5; Dominic Monardo, Jr., Lake Superior, 5; Greg Pateryn, Sr., Michigan, 5; Kyle Bonis, Jr., Ferris State, 4; Shane Berschbach, So., Western Michigan, 4; Lee Reimer, So., Michigan State, 4; Riley Sheahan, Jr., Notre Dame, 4; Aaron Gens, Sr., Alaska, 4; Austin Czarnik, Fr., Miami, 3; Dan Walters, Jr., Western Michigan, 3; Brock Shelgren, Sr., Michigan State, 3; Jared Coreau, So., Northern Michigan, 3; Kyle Jean, So., Lake Superior, 2; Brett Perlini, Sr., Michigan State, 1; Scott Czarnowczan, So., Ferris State, 1; Andrew Hammon, Jr., Bowling Green, 1; Cal Heeter, Sr., Ohio State, 1.
— ND —