St. John's Ends Preseason with 2-1 Win over Rider

The St. John's women's soccer team closed out exhibition action on Friday night with a 2-1 victory over Rider at Belson Stadium. Unanimous preseason All-BIG EAST selection Zsani Kajan scored the opening goal on a penalty kick in the sixth minute, while Devon Schiller added a tally for the Johnnies in the 40th minute. Sophomore Brooke Boyd picked up the helper on Schiller's score. For the contest, St. John's outshot Rider, 18-5, while holding a 5-2 advantage on corner kicks. The Broncs had eight saves to the Red Storm's one, which came off the glove of Naya Lipkens. Kajan's goal came on a penalty kick, a play that was set up after she was knocked down by a Broncs' defender. The redshirt junior from Budapest, Hungary, delivered a forceful right-footed strike into the middle of the net, putting her team on the board early in the opening stanza. Twenty-four minutes later, the Johnnies bumped their advantage to a pair following a skillful sequence from Schiller and Boyd. After Boyd forced a turnover in the top of the box, the Silver Spring, Md., native sent a perfect pass up to an open Schiller. The Duxbury, Mass., native then drilled the ball down the center of the cage to put the Red Storm on top, 2-0. With just under two minutes remaining in regulation, the Broncs finally got on the board but there was not enough time for a comeback as the Red Storm claimed the 2-1 victory. St. John's will officially begin the 2019 season on Aug. 22, as the Johnnies travel to Harrisonburg, Va., for a matchup with Cincinnati as part of the Fairfield Inn by Marriot JMU Invitational. The Red Storm will play its home opener on Aug. 30 against Yale.