Five players who have distinguished themselves on the ice in 2010-11 have been named finalists for the 2011 Laura Hurd Award, given annually to the best NCAA Division III women's ice hockey player in the country. The list of finalists includes two players who led their teams into the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship being played at Rochester Institute of Technology this weekend. They are Sarah Dagg, a senior forward from RIT and Sophie Leclerc, a senior forward from Norwich. One finalist, senior forward Michaela Michaelson of St. Catherine, is a repeat selection from a year ago. Each of the five players earned Player of the Year honors in their respective conferences.

Sponsored by the American Hockey Coaches Association, the Hurd Award honors the memory of former Elmira College standout Laura Hurd. A 2005 graduate of Elmira, and a four-time All-American, Hurd died in an automobile accident shortly after graduation. She was the recipient of the AHCA Player of the Year Award in 2005.

The recipient of this year's Hurd Award will be announced this Thursday during the NCAA Championship Banquet at RIT.

Finalists for the 2010-11 Hurd Award
AHCA Women's Ice Hockey College Division Player of the Year

Sarah Dagg, Senior, Forward, RIT
(St. George, ON)
Kristin Faber, Senior, Forward, UW-Eau Claire
(Austin, MN)
Sophie Leclerc, Senior, Forward, Norwich
(Barre, VT)
Michaela Michaelson, Senior, Forward, St. Catherine
(Inver Grove Heights, MN)
Kim Weiss, Senior, Forward, Trinity
(Potomac, MD)

Winners of the Laura Hurd Award AHCA Women’s Ice Hockey College Player of the Year
2000	Sylvia Ryan	Middlebury	Forward
2001	Michelle Labbe	Middlebury	Forward
2002	Sarah Moe	Gustavus Adolphus	Forward
2003	Angela Kapus	Middlebury	Forward/Defense
2004	Molly Wasserman	Williams	Forward
2005	Laura Hurd	Elmira	Forward
2006	Emily Quizon	Middlebury	Forward
2007	Andrea Peterson	Gustavus Adolphus	Defense
2008	Danielle Blanchard	Plattsburgh	Forward
2009	Kayla Coady	Elmira	Forward
2010	Isabel Iwachiw	Trinity	Goaltender