Zsani Kajan led the Big East with 11 goals i 2019. (Photo courtesy of St. John’s)
QUEENS, N.Y. – Four days after earning a spot on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, St. John’s University women’s soccer redshirt senior Zsani Kajan tabbed Big East preseason offensive player of the year, as voted on by the league’s coaches.
Kajan, the reigning conference offensive player of the year also received unanimous selection to the preseason All-Big East team for the 2021 spring season.
The conference’s top returning goal scorer from a season ago, Kajan found the back of the net a team-most 11 times in 2019. The Budapest, Hungary, native averaged a conference-leading 1.67 points per game over nine Big East contests, scoring a league-best seven goals against conference foes.
With 11 tallies in 2019, Kajan tied her season-high total, as she became one of just three players in program history to record double-digit scoring in multiple seasons, joining Rachel Daly and Cristin Burtis.
Last year, Kajan provided a strong skill set under pressure, scoring a trio of game-winning goals for the Red Storm. Kajan’s most notable performance came Oct. 24, 2019 when she recorded the second hat-trick of her collegiate career in a 4-3 win at Villanova University
The preseason All-Big East team was announced in conjunction with the annual preseason coaches’ poll. The conference schedule will feature two geographic divisions this spring, with Georgetown University favored in the East Division and Xavier University picked to win the Midwest Division. In the East Division, the Hoyas were followed by Villanova University and Providence College.
Returning to Big East play for the first time since 2012, the University of Connecticut was slotted fourth in the East, followed by St. John’s in fifth and Seton Hall University in sixth.
BIG EAST Women’s Soccer East Division Preseason Poll
1. Georgetown 25 (5 first-place votes)
2. Villanova 19
3. Providence 18 (1)
4. UConn 12
5. St. Johns 11
6. Seton Hall 5
BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Midwest Division Preseason Poll
1. Xavier 16 (4 first-place votes)
2. DePaul 12 (1)
3. Butler 11
4. Marquette 6
5. Creighton 5
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Zsani Kajan, St. John’s, R-Sr., F
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Jenna Royson, Georgetown, Jr., D
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Stephanie Rodriguez, Butler, R-Jr., GK
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Stephanie Rodriguez, Butler, R-Jr., GK
Anja Savich, Butler, Jr., F
Katie Soderstrom, Butler, Jr., F
Skylar Heinrich, Creighton, So., F*
Kristen Boos, DePaul, So., F
Morgan Turner, DePaul, Sr., F
Jenna Royson, Georgetown, Jr., D
Hannah McNulty, Providence, Sr., F*
Zsani Kajan, St. John’s, R-Sr., F*
Brice McInroy, Villanova, Jr., M
Molly McLaughlin, Xavier, Jr., M
Brooke Sroka, Xavier, Jr., F
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
*unanimous selection