FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Head Coach Carl Rees and five former Fairfield University men's soccer student-athletes were chosen for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) 40th Anniversary Team. The team was selected as part of the conference's celebration of 40 years of competitive and academic achievement. The selections were made by the conference on Tuesday morning. Joining Rees on the MAAC's 40th Anniversary team are Sam Bailey (1998-01), Rob Defaveri (2004-07), Jim McElderry (1989-92), Michael O'Keeffe (2009-12), and Tom Skara (2004-07).

Rees was one of three coaches honored by the MAAC, a designation he earned through his five regular season and five conference championships and more than 225 career victories. He remains the program's all-time winningest coach through his 24 seasons at the helm. Rees has posted 136 wins in MAAC play and holds a .673 winning percentage against conference opponents. His overall win total stands at 227 victories for a .585 winning percentage. He became the first Fairfield coach to win an NCAA tournament game with the team's win over UConn in the 2006 tournament. He led Fairfield to 16 winning seasons and several national rankings during his career.

Bailey finished his career as the program's top all-time leading scorers with 70 career points, most of those points coming as a result of his 27 career goals. His point total still places him among the top 15 in the MAAC. The forward was duly recognized for his achievements on the pitch, beginning with a spot on the MAAC All-Rookie team in 2004. He followed up with an All-MAAC first berth in both 2005 and 2007 which wrapped around a second team berth in 2006. Bailey was also placed on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region team as a senior.

Defaveri was also a three-time All-MAAC student-athlete, beginning with a first-team selection as a freshman. He followed up with a second-team berth during the 1998 campaign before gaining his final All-MAAC honor with a first-team post in 2001. Defaveri also secured an NSCAA All-Region placement in his senior year. Defaveri emerged as one of the top scorers in the MAAC, ending his career with 22 goals and 15 assists for a total of 59 points and remains one of the Stags' top scorers all time.

McElderry's impact continues to be present today as he remains ranked among Fairfield's top scorers overall and for goals scored. He collected the 1992 MAAC Player of the Year award after gaining a slot on the All-MAAC team that same season. He finished his Fairfield career with 43 points which stands ninth in the Fairfield record book. He is listed eighth on Fairfield goal scorer list, standing eighth with 17 career goals.

O'Keeffe earned conference recognition in all four seasons he donned the Fairfield kit, starting with the 2009 MAAC All-Rookie and All-MAAC teams. He was also an All-MAAC player as a sophomore, junior, and senior, one of the few Stags to receive placement all four seasons. He was also awarded All-Region laurels by the NSCAA in 2011 and 2012. O'Keeffe posted 19 career shutouts which ranks third all-time at Fairfield while his career 1.11 goals against average is fourth among Fairfield's roster of goalkeepers. He also competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics as the starting goalkeeper for New Zealand.

Skara was among the starting 11 for most of his career, joining the lineup as a freshman and remaining in place for four seasons. The defender captured All-MAAC honors in 2005, 2006, and 2007 while also garnering NSCAA All-Region honors as a senior. Skara was duly noted as the conference's best defender in 2006 when the MAAC coaches labeled him as the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year.