Cris Alarcon, News@InEDC.com

(PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA) July 14, 2022 — UC San Diego men’s soccer defender Noah Sonenstein will represent Team USA at the 21st Maccabiah Games beginning July 14 in Israel.

The Maccabiah Games are held every four years and attract 60+ countries and over 10,000 Jewish athletes from around the world. The United States is sending a contingent of over 1,100 athletes to the two-week event.

Tryouts were held in both Los Angeles and New York earlier this year. Sonenstein was among 21 athletes chosen for the men’s open team.

An El Dorado Hills, Calif. native, Sonenstein joined the Tritons in 2018, starting 38 matches in three seasons with UC San Diego. He was a CCAA All-Academic selection as a sophomore in 2019 and was named to the All-Triton Scholar-Athlete Team for the 2020 season—which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sonenstein started all 15 matches in which he played during the 2021 season—UC San Diego’s first at the Division I level—finishing third on the team in minutes played (1,312). Sonenstein will return for a fifth year with the Tritons for the 2022 season, which begins Aug. 25 at Pacific.

Sonenstein joins former Triton men’s soccer alums Alec Arsht, Adam Zernick and Will Pleskow as UC San Diego scholar-athletes to represent Team USA at the Maccabiah Games. Arsht Zernick and Pleskow were members of the men’s soccer team that won gold at the 2013 games.

“It was a once in a lifetime experience to get to represent my country and religion while doing something that I love,” said Arsht. “As a result of training and playing competitively throughout the summer, I was also able to come into preseason more fit than ever with an awesome experience (and gold medal) under my belt. I still keep in touch with guys that I played with from all over the country and hope that Noah has the same experience and success that we had.”

The opening ceremonies for the 21st Maccabiah will take place on July 14 at Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium.