WASHINGTON - American University men's soccer midfielder Troy Elgersma has signed a professional contract with Ventura County FC of MLS Next Pro. Elgersma is AU's 20th player to sign with a professional club.

Elgersma enters the professional ranks after completing one of the most accomplished careers in the history of American University soccer. He scored 15 goals and dished out 14 assists across 55 starts and 4,805 minutes, earning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year award in 2024 and the Midfielder of the Year honor in 2025. A masterful distributor from the midfield, his 14 assists are 11th all-time in program history. 

"I feel incredibly blessed for this opportunity and I am so thankful for everyone who has helped me get to this point in my career," said Elgersma. "I couldn't be more excited to play at the professional level, and I'll be forever grateful for my time at AU that helped me get to where I am today."

The two-time team captain is coming off an excellent 2025 season, scoring a career-high seven goals to go along with an assist. Serving as AU's attacking engine, he went the full 90 minutes in nine matches. 

In 2024, Elgersma delivered seven assists and tallied three goals to lead the Patriot League in points. He scored or assisted on at least one goal in eight of American's 19 games, with the Eagles going 5-1-2 in those contests. 

An exemplary student-athlete, Elgersma earned a plethora of academic honors throughout his four years. He was named the Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2025 and was a four-time Patriot League Academic Honor roll member, two-time Academic All-Patriot League honoree, and landed on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team in 2023. 

The Redlands, California native will get to play in his home state for Ventura County FC, which is the development team of Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy FC. The club was founded in 2014, and became a member of MLS Next Pro in 2024.