SAN BRUNO, Calif. — San Diego graduate defender Elijah Zelkind has been named the WCC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 9, 2026, the West Coast Conference announced Monday.
Zelkind was credited with assists on San Diego's first two goals and helped the Toreros hold Saint Mary's to four shots on goal in a 4-0 win Friday at Torero Stadium, the program's lone match of the week. One of seven Toreros honored before kickoff on Senior Night, he made his fifth straight start on the right side of the back line and set the 59th-minute game-winner in motion, passing inside from the right flank to Taj Eagleston, who played Iain Wagner in for the finish. Less than three minutes later, his cross from near the end line was mishandled by the goalkeeper, and Devin Zachry buried the rebound for a 2-0 lead. San Diego outshot the Gaels 23-10 and recorded its third clean sheet of the 2026 season.
The honor is the first WCC weekly award of Zelkind's career and San Diego's fourth of the 2026 season, following Steven Ramirez's Offensive Player of the Week nod on Aug. 24 and the Toreros' sweep of both awards by Eagleston and Luca Fava on Sept. 14. The San Diego native and Torrey Pines High School product transferred from Missouri State and sat out the 2025 season while recovering from injury. He has appeared in 14 matches this season, with all five of his starts coming in the last five, and has four points on a goal and two assists in 2026. He scored the first goal of his collegiate career against Santa Clara on Oct. 21, and Friday's assists were his first two as a Torero.
The No. 25 Toreros (10-4-3, 5-1-2 WCC) return to the field Wednesday, Nov. 11, when they face No. 3 seed Denver in the semifinals of the inaugural WCC Men's Soccer Tournament at Merlo Field in Portland, Ore. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. PT, with the match streaming on ESPN+.
