Notre Dame center Tynan earns CCHA hockey honors

Freshman center T.J. Tynan has been named the CCHA rookie of the week for his play in Notre Dame's three games for the week of December 27. This marks the third time this season that Tynan has been honored by the CCHA as its top rookie. 

During the week, Tynan scored three goals and added three assists for six points as the 12th-ranked Irish were 1-1-1 and finished third in the 2011 Shillelagh Tournament held in Hoffman Estates, Ill. 

Tynan and the Irish got the week off to a strong start on Dec. 29 as he scored twice and added two assists for the first, four-point game of his career in a 10-2 win over Canisius at the Joyce Center. He scored once on the power play in that contest and was +3 on the night. The 5-8, 156-pound center was one of four Notre Dame players to record four points in the game. 

At the Shillelagh Tournament, held at the Sears Centre Arena, Tynan was held scoreless in the 4-3 loss to Minnesota State in that semifinal meeting. In the third-place game on Jan. 3, he helped the Irish tie 10th-ranked Boston University, 3-3. The Irish were awarded third place in the tournament after they won the shoot out, 1-0. In that game, trailing 1-0 in the first period, Tynan got the game-tying goal at 15:45 of the first period, scoring on a set up by linemates Anders Lee and Mike Voran. 

In the third period, trailing 3-1, his brilliant pass set up Lee at 6:09 of the final stanza to cut the lead to 3-2. Sophomore defenseman Sam Calabrese then got the game-tying goal with a short-handed tally at 17:07 to knot the game at 3-3.

For the season, Tynan now has played in 22 games and leads Notre Dame in scoring with 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points. He is tied for the team lead with a +13 and has contributed three power-play goals, two short-handed tallies and two game winners in this his rookie year. 

Tynan leads all freshmen in scoring on in both the CCHA and nationally with 29 points. He is currently third overall in the conference and the nation in scoring as he trails just Carter Camper (37) and Andy Miele (33) of Miami in points. His 14 goals lead the CCHA and tie him for fifth on the national stage. He also was named the HCA national rookie of the month in November. 

The rookie center and his teammates are currently 12-7-3 on the season and 9-4-1-1 in the CCHA and are in first place in the league with 29 points, one point ahead of second-place Michigan and two ahead of third-place Miami in the standings. Notre Dame is ranked 12th in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll and 11th by USCHO.com. 

The Irish return to CCHA play this weekend, Jan. 7-8 when they travel to Marquette, Mich., for a pair of games with the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Game time at the Berry Events Center on Friday is 7:05 p.m. while Saturday's tilt will drop the puck at 5:05 p.m.