TROY, NY – ECAC Hockey has announced its finalists for the 2010-11 Women's Best Defensive Forward Award and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) junior assistant captain and center Alisa Harrison is one of three nominees in the running for the honor. The winner of this year's award will be announced by the league later this week.

Other finalists for the Best Defensive Forward Award include Dartmouth College's Reagan Fischer and Cornell University's Karlee Overguard. 

Harrison, a native of Vienna, Va., is third on the squad in points with 18 through 33 games. The team leader in assists (11) and second in goals (7), she also has three power play tallies. Additionally, Harrison has been assessed just four penalties for eight minutes this season.

In 22 league games, Harrison has recorded 13 points on five goals and eight assists. Two of her power play tallies have come against conference opponents. She currently ranks 24th among the conference's best in power play goals and is 36th in assists.

An ECAC Hockey Weekly Honor Roll selection on November 30, Harrison has posted a least one point in 15 games, including three multiple point contests. She also had a five-game scoring streak from November 26 through January 7. One of the key playmakers on the Engineers power play and penalty kill units, Harrison has also been RPI's primary on the face-off, going 309-253for 55.0%.

The former Washington Pride standout has played in all 107 games of her career. She has tallied 31 goals and 40 assists for 71 points in that time, which is 18th among the Engineers' all-time scoring leaders. Among her goals, eight have come on the power play, one has been short-handed and four are game-winners. Harrison, who was a 2009 ECACH All-Rookie selection, is also an impressive +37 in her career.

Rensselaer (10-16-7; 8-12-2 ECACH), which is making its third straight appearance in the ECAC Hockey Playoffs and fourth overall since joining the league in 2006-07, enters as the eighth-seed in this weekend's playoffs and will play top-seeded Cornell, beginning Friday at 7pm at the Lynah Rink. Game times for Saturday and Sunday's (if necessary) contests are scheduled for 4pm.  

In preparation the Engineers will practice at 4:15pm on both Wednesday and Thursday at the Houston Field House. Live stats will be at http://livestats.internetconsult.com/cornell/whockey/index.htm while live video can be found at http://www.cornellbigred.com/showcase/#liveevents. Saturday and Sunday's games can also be followed live courtesy of WRPI radio on 91.5 FM WRPI, or log on to www.wrpi.org.