Nov. 24, 2009

Bridgeport, Pa. - Fordham University goalie Christian Flessner (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) and two-meter player Ali Arat (Istanbul, Turkey/Sisli Terakki Secondary) were named the Men's Varsity Northern Division Player and Rookie of the Week respectively in the final week of the season. This is Flessner's first career award and the second for Arat.

Flessner posted 21 saves in three matches at the 2009 Eastern Championship in Cambridge, Massachusetts this past weekend. Against No. 20-nationally ranked Johns Hopkins University in the first round, he posted 12 saves in a 12-11 sudden death overtime loss to the Blue Jays before contributing six stops in a 12-9 victory over Iona College in the next round. He concluded his championship performance with three saves in an 8-7 victory over Northern Division champion Brown University in the tournament's fifth place game.

Arat scored nine goals in three games in leading the Rams to a 2-1 record and fifth place at the 2009 Eastern Championship. For his performance, Arat was named the Rookie of the Championship.

At Easterns, he scored five goals in a 12-11 sudden death overtime loss to Johns Hopkins University in the opening round before posting four goals in an 8-7 win against Northern Division champion Brown University to place fifth in the final tournament standings.

Arat, who was named the Northern Division Rookie of the Year following the first day of competition at the Eastern Championship, was also honored by being named to the Eastern Championship All-Tournament First Team for his performance over the three-day event.