The Family Business is in Good Hands With USA Select Players

SPARKS, Md. — Midway through the third quarter of Saturday afternoon’s Brogden Cup game between the USA Select U16 girls and the Haudenosaunee Nationals, Charley Bacigalupo cut past her defender, gathered a pass from Cayden Resse on the right wing, and rifled a shot past the goalie to extend USA’s lead on the way to an eventual 16-3 victory.

While that was the only scoring connection between the two USA Select players in Saturday’s U16 game, Bacigalupo and Reese also share another unique bond.

They are the daughters of National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductees.

Scott Bacigalupo is considered by many to be among the top collegiate goalies ever, earning All-America honors four times and winning two NCAA titles at Princeton in the 1990s. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Cathy Reese, a 2019 Hall of Fame inductee, is one of college lacrosse’s most decorated coaches, having built a women’s dynasty at Maryland that includes five national championships and 12 final fours in 17 years with the Terps.

Both have their Hall of Fame plaques on display in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum, located adjacent to USA Lacrosse’s Tierney Field, site of this weekend’s Brogden Cup competition.

“I saw his plaque for the first time today,” Charley Bacigalupo said. “It was so cool.”

Bacigalupo (pictured above) said that she wanted to follow in her dad’s footsteps as a goalie, but that he strongly encouraged her to become a midfielder. And while her older sister Maggie (also a midfielder) plays lacrosse at Scott’s alma mater in the Ivy League, Charley has also gone in a different direction as a Notre Dame commit.

“People would think he would want me to be a goalie, but he didn’t, which is surprising,” she said. “But he still helps me with my shooting and with angles, from a goalie’s perspective, which is helpful. He has coached me and my siblings from a young age.”
 

Meanwhile, Reese, who tallied one goal and a team-high two assists in Saturday’s victory, officially committed last month to joining her mother's program at Maryland. She's the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2026, according to Inside Lacrosse.

“I’m really excited because Maryland has been a part of my life basically since I was born,” Reese said. “It was kind of weird to finally commit there for real, but I’m excited.”

Reese and Bacigalupo will try to close out an undefeated weekend for the USA Select U16 squad Sunday at 11:45 a.m. with a rematch against Team Ontario.

“It’s been so cool to play with many of the best players from around the country,” Reese said. “This experience helps all of us to become better players, and it’s also just a lot of fun.”

Earlier Saturday, the USA Select U18 girls also remained undefeated with a 19-1 victory over Team Ontario. Two first-quarter goals each by Quinn Murray and Grace Winkler fueled a 7-0 start for USA, which never looked back. The U18 girls face the Haudenosaunee in their final game Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Started in 1988 to honor former Johns Hopkins goalie Mac Brogden, who represented the United States in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, the Brogden Cup originally pitted post-collegiate club players from the United States against Canadian players.

Since 2019, Team Ontario, USA Lacrosse, and the Haudenosaunee Nationals have competed for the Brogden Cup to grow international competition for some of the best youth and high school players in the world.