Gifted Goalkeeper Qualifies

Christchurch-born Michael O’Keeffe, a junior goalkeeper for Connecticut’s Fairfield University soccer team the Stags, has qualified to play in the 2012 London Summer Olympics as a member of the New Zealand Under-23 team. According to his Fairfield coach Carl Rees, O’Keeffe is one of the best goalkeepers in Fairfield’s program history. In his junior season with the Stags, he had 18 appearances, 65 saves and only allowed 21 goals. There are certain abilities that O’Keeffe has that can’t be learned and O’Keeffe’s mentality is virtually unmatched, according to Rees. “Technically, he is obviously a very gifted athlete. His technique in goal and his distribution is excellent.” O’Keeffe attended Christchurch Boys’ High.