NEW YORK – BIG EAST women’s soccer annual awards were announced on Monday, with regular-season champion Xavier claiming three of the six major honors. Musketeer senior Olivia Jenkins was voted BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, rookie midfielder Ella Rogers was tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, and Xavier, led by head coach Nate Lie, was voted BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. St. John’s graduate student forward Zsani Kajan was unanimously selected BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, Georgetown junior Julia Leas was tabbed BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year, and fellow Hoya Sydney Cummings, a graduate student defender, was voted BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year.
All-BIG EAST Teams and major awards were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches who were not allowed to vote for their own players or coaching staff.
Jenkins becomes Xavier’s first BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year. The senior not only ranks among the leaders in the BIG EAST, but also nationally. Jenkins boasts the nation’s No. 6 goals against average at 0.491 and is the Division I leader in shutouts with 10 clean sheets in 2021. Over 10 BIG EAST games this fall, Jenkins posted the top save percentage (.886) among conference keepers, while listing second in goals against average (0.40). Seven of her 10 shutouts this fall came against BIG EAST opponents.
Rogers becomes the second Musketeer to be voted BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and first since Sydney Schembri in 2017. The rookie midfielder ranks second on Xavier with four goals on the year, while her points tally (eight) lists fourth. Two of her four scores have been of the game-winning variety, both coming in conference action.
Xavier earns BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the second time and first since 2019. After being picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Musketeers went 9-1-0 in conference play and claimed their second regular-season title. Head coach Nate Lie is in his fifth season at Xavier, leading the Musketeers to the conference postseason for the fourth time. Xavier spent much of the regular season in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll as it enters the postseason ranked 15th. Xavier scored a BIG EAST-best 19 goals in league play, while tying Georgetown for the fewest goals allowed with just four. Xavier enters the BIG EAST Championship with a 16-1-1 overall record, marking the most regular-season wins in program history.
Kajan claims her second BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year honor after earning the recognition in 2019. The graduate student forward tallied league highs of seven goals and 17 points over 10 BIG EAST games this fall. On the national scene, Kajan has the second-most goals among all Division I players with 16 scores on the year, while her points total (37) lists third. Kajan also ranks among the leaders in game-winning goals, registering four on the season.
Leas becomes the ninth Georgetown player to garner BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year honors, all since 2010, including Spring 2021 honoree Daisy Cleverley. Over 10 BIG EAST games this fall, Leas has eight points off three goals and two assists. Over 18 games on the year, Leas has 11 points off three goals and five assists. Leas helped facilitate a Georgetown offense which averaged a BIG EAST-best 6.20 points per game over 10 league contests.
In her first season with the Hoyas, Cummings has anchored a defense which boasts the nation’s No. 3 goals against average at just 0.412. Georgetown’s 0.611 shutout percentage lists seventh nationally, tallying a BIG EAST-best 11 clean sheets this fall. Over 10 BIG EAST contests, the Hoyas surrendered just four goals to tie Xavier for the conference lead, while their 0.38 goals against average listed No. 1. Cummings has also scored three goals on the year, including two game winners.
Due to a tie in voting, a 12-member All-BIG EAST First Team was named, which included Leas, Cummings, Jenkins and unanimous selection Kajan. Additional honorees include Butler redshirt-junior forward Katie Soderstrom, UConn sophomore forward Jaydah Bedoya, Creighton junior midfielder Aida Kardovic, Georgetown junior forward Gia Vicari, Georgetown graduate student defender Kelly Ann Livingstone, Providence sophomore forward Meg Hughes, Xavier senior defender Hayley Jakovich and Xavier senior midfielder Molly McLaughlin.
Xavier’s Rogers led a 12-person All-BIG EAST Second Team. Additional honorees include Butler’s Aliya Diagne (Jr., D) and Amanda Kowalski (R-Sr., M); UConn’s Jessica Mazo (Jr., M) and Jada Jonte (So., F); DePaul’s Morgan Turner (Grad., F); Georgetown’s Allie Augur (Jr., GK) and Daisy Cleverley (Grad., M); Marquette’s Katrina Wetherell (R-Jr., M); Providence’s Alexis Rothmann (Jr., M) and Avery Snead (So., D); and St. John’s Jessica Garziano (Jr., M).
A total of 14 newcomers were named to the All-Freshman Team, with Rogers leading a trio of Musketeers, along with forward Shelby Sallee and Chloe Netzel. Butler (Emma Martin, Lauren Doerr), UConn (Evelyn Arsenault, Joyce Rider), Georgetown (Eliza Turner, Cyanne Doyle) and Providence (Maria Paveglio, Gillian Kenney) also earned multiple All-Freshman Team slots. Marquette midfielder/forward Maggie Starker, St. John’s midfielder Athina Sofroniou and Villanova forward Lauren Belcuore rounded out the list of honorees.
BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Zsani Kajan, St. John’s, Grad., F*
BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Julia Leas, Georgetown, Jr., M
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Sydney Cummings, Georgetown, Grad., D
BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Olivia Jenkins, Xavier, Sr., GK
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Ella Rogers, Xavier, Fr., M
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Xavier
All-BIG EAST First Team^
Katie Soderstrom, Butler, R-Jr., F
Jaydah Bedoya, UConn, So., F
Aida Kardovich, Creighton, Jr., M
Sydney Cummings, Georgetown, Grad., D
Gia Vicari, Georgetown, Jr., F
Julia Leas, Georgetown, Jr., M
Kelly Ann Livingstone, Georgetown, Grad., D
Meg Hughes, Providence, So., F
Zsani Kajan, St. John’s, Grad., F*
Hayley Jakovich, Xavier, Sr., D
Molly McLaughlin, Xavier, Sr., M
Olivia Jenkins, Xavier, Sr., GK
All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Aliya Diagne, Butler, Jr., D
Amanda Kowalski, Butler, R-Sr., M
Jessica Mazo, UConn, Jr., M
Jada Konte, UConn, So., F
Morgan Turner, DePaul, Grad., F
Allie Augur, Georgetown, Jr., GK
Daisy Cleverley, Georgetown, Grad., M
Katrina Wetherell, Marquette, R-Jr., M
Alexis Rothmann, Providence, Jr., M
Avery Snead, Providence, So., D
Jessica Garziano, St. John’s, Jr., M
Ella Rogers, Xavier, Fr., M
BIG EAST All-Freshman Team^
Emma Martin, Butler, Fr., GK
Lauren Doerr, Butler, Fr., D/M
Evelyn Arsenault, UConn, Fr., D
Joyce Rider, UConn, Fr., M
Eliza Turner, Georgetown, Fr., D*
Cyanne Doyle, Georgetown, Fr., F*
Maggie Starker, Marquette, Fr., M/F
Maria Paveglio, Providence, Fr., D
Gillian Kenney, Providence, Fr., F*
Athina Sofroniou, St. John’s, Fr., M
Lauren Belcuore, Villanova, Fr., F
Ella Rogers, Xavier, Fr., M*
Shelby Sallee, Xavier, Fr., F
Chloe Netzel, Xavier, Fr., F
*unanimous selection
^extra players added due to a tie in voting