Scott Bacigalupo on Princeton Lacrosse, Mental Toughness, and Becoming a Hall of Fame Goalie

Episode Overview

In Episode 91 of the Lax Goalie Rat Podcast, Coach Damon Wilson sits down with Scott Bacigalupo, a Lacrosse Hall of Famer, former Princeton goalie, and two-time NCAA national champion. Known by friends as “Batch,” Scott shares incredible stories from his playing career, including Princeton’s rise to national prominence, his unique approach to playing goalie, and the lessons he learned through both triumphs and difficult moments.

Scott began his lacrosse journey as a baseball player and initially tried the goalie position during a sixth-grade scrimmage at St. Paul's School for Boys in Baltimore. After impressing his coach, he committed to the position and benefited from the guidance of experienced goalie coaches, former players, and lacrosse legends.

His journey eventually led him to Princeton, where he played under legendary coach Bill Tierney. Scott helped transform a struggling program into a national champion, winning NCAA titles in 1992 and 1994. Along the way, he earned three Princeton Goalie of the Year honors and became one of the most respected goalies of his era.

Throughout the conversation, Scott reflects on the technical, physical, and mental aspects of playing goalie. He explains why every goalie needs to develop a style that fits their abilities, how he trained his reaction time, and why the ability to recover mentally after conceding a goal can make all the difference.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• How Scott became a goalie: Why a baseball catcher ended up in the lacrosse goal and how one sixth-grade scrimmage changed his path.

• The value of quality coaching: How St. Paul's School, experienced goalie coaches, and lacrosse alumni helped Scott develop his fundamentals.

• Overcoming the fear of getting hit: Why coaches must build confidence in young goalies instead of overwhelming them with hard shots.

• Creating a positive goalie culture: How teams can make goalies feel respected, included, and valued.

• Developing your own goalie style: Why Scott played with a deep arc, often keeping his heels near the goal line, and why goalies should find an approach that suits their individual strengths.

• Improving reaction time and footwork: The drills Scott used to develop quickness, including resistance work and reacting to balls thrown against a wall.

• Recruiting and choosing a college: How Scott's recruiting experience differed from today's process and why Bill Tierney's approach ultimately convinced him to attend Princeton.

• Learning leadership over time: Why a young goalie should first focus on stopping the ball before taking on the added responsibility of directing the defense and leading the team.

• Handling mistakes under pressure: What happened when Scott's late-game error nearly cost Princeton the 1992 national championship.

• Building mental toughness: How Scott learned to recover after bad games, manage emotions, and keep moving forward.

• Learning from difficult losses: Why Princeton's triple-overtime loss to Towson in 1991 became a defining moment for the program.

• Playing with pride and confidence: Scott's advice for goalies who want to become stronger players and leaders.

Scott Bacigalupo's Goalie Journey

Scott's first experience in goal came at the end of sixth grade at St. Paul's School for Boys. Originally a baseball player, he volunteered to play goalie during a casual scrimmage and surprised his coach with his performance.

At the time, Scott did not have all the proper equipment. He even used an elbow pad as protection until his parents eventually bought him a cup. What started as a simple opportunity to try a new position became the beginning of an extraordinary lacrosse career.

Scott credits much of his development to the strong lacrosse culture at St. Paul's and the experienced coaches who took an interest in him. Their instruction helped him build the fundamentals that would later support his success at Princeton.

Finding a Goalie Style That Works for You

One of the most interesting parts of the conversation is Scott's explanation of his unconventional playing style.

While many goalies are taught to follow a curved arc in front of the goal, Scott developed a deeper positioning approach. He often kept his heels near the goal line and attacked shots from there, giving himself more time to see the ball leave the shooter's stick.

He also relied heavily on his body and feet to make saves. His relaxed hand position and comfortable stance were important parts of his approach.

Scott emphasizes that there is no single stance or arc that works for every goalie. A taller goalie may be comfortable playing deeper, while a shorter goalie may benefit from moving farther out to take up more space. The key is finding a style that suits your physical attributes, instincts, and comfort level.

His advice is a useful reminder for goalies and coaches: learn the fundamentals, experiment with different approaches, and avoid forcing every goalie into the exact same style.

Drills Scott Used to Improve Quickness

Scott and his Princeton goalie coach, Dave Metzbauer, worked on drills designed to train the body to react quickly to the ball.

1. Mystery Shot Wall Drill

Scott described a drill in which he faced a wall while his coach threw tennis balls or racquetballs against it. He had to react to the ball after it bounced off the wall, without seeing the initial throw.

As he improved, he moved closer to the wall, reducing the time available to react.

This drill challenged Scott's ability to track the ball and move his hands and feet quickly.

2. Resistance Training for Footwork

Before modern resistance bands became common, Scott trained with rubber tubing tied around his ankles. The resistance helped him practice stepping toward the ball and moving his feet efficiently.

The focus was on developing coordinated footwork so that his body could respond quickly and instinctively when a shot came.

3. Jump Rope

Scott also used jump rope exercises as part of his work to improve quickness and movement.

He explains that goalie training involves more than simply taking shots. Goalies need to train their brains and bodies to recognize where the ball is going and coordinate the movements needed to make a save.

Recruiting and Choosing Princeton

Scott's recruiting experience took place before email and today's modern recruiting systems. Coaches contacted players by phone, attended their games, and often visited their families for dinner.

After winning MVP at the inaugural Top 205 Camp between his sophomore and junior years of high school, Scott began to recognize that he could compete at the next level.

He received interest and scholarship offers from several prominent programs, including North Carolina, Virginia, and Johns Hopkins. However, Bill Tierney's thoughtful recruiting approach ultimately helped convince Scott to choose Princeton.

Tierney promised Scott the opportunity to play for four years and emphasized the importance of receiving an excellent education alongside a college lacrosse career.

Scott also shares a memorable story about Tierney considering a return to Johns Hopkins before Scott had even arrived at Princeton. Scott told Tierney how disappointed he would be if the coach left after promising to stay. A few days later, Tierney confirmed that he was staying at Princeton.

Scott credits Tierney's leadership, honesty, and commitment to his players as major factors in the program's eventual success.

From a Struggling Program to National Champions

When Scott arrived at Princeton, the program was still working to establish itself among the nation's elite teams.

His freshman season in 1991 ended with a painful 14-13 triple-overtime loss to Towson State in the NCAA quarterfinals. The defeat became a turning point for the team.

Scott remembers walking off the field after the loss and telling Tierney that they would never lose another overtime game again.

The following years brought a remarkable transformation. Princeton learned how to win close games and developed the confidence to compete against the country's strongest teams.

In 1992, Princeton defeated North Carolina in the semifinals before facing Syracuse in the national championship game. The championship was particularly significant because it marked the first time in roughly two decades that a team outside the traditional championship powers of Johns Hopkins, North Carolina, and Virginia had won the title.

Princeton won again in 1994, cementing the legacy of Scott's class and the program's rise under Tierney.

The 1992 National Championship: A Mistake and a Remarkable Comeback

One of the episode's most memorable stories comes from the 1992 championship game against Syracuse.

With Princeton leading 9-8 late in the fourth quarter, the team appeared close to securing the national championship. But after Syracuse sent the ball downfield, Scott came out of the goal to collect it. As he tried to release the ball, it spun out of his stick, allowing Syracuse's Tom Marachek to recover it and score the tying goal.

Scott describes the mistake as the “Bill Buckner of lacrosse plays.”

With the championship suddenly in jeopardy, Scott was understandably shaken. But instead of allowing the mistake to define the game, Bill Tierney rallied the team around him.

Tierney reminded the players of Scott's contributions throughout the tournament and made it clear that the team still believed in him.

The support helped Scott reset mentally. Princeton went on to play strong defense in overtime, and the Tigers eventually won the championship in double overtime.

For goalies, the lesson is powerful: one mistake does not define your performance, and your response to adversity matters.

Even at the highest level, goalies make mistakes. What separates successful players is their ability to regain focus, trust their preparation, and continue competing.

The Mental Game: Staying Even-Keeled

Scott's father gave him advice before his first college game that stayed with him throughout his career:

When you make saves, do not get too high. When you let in goals, do not get too low.

Scott describes being an emotional goalie, but he learned to keep those emotions from controlling his performance.

One way he did this was by avoiding the act of retrieving the ball from the back of the net after conceding a goal. Instead, he allowed the referee to collect it while he stepped away and reset mentally.

His approach reinforced an important principle: after a goal, the previous play is over. The goalie needs to return attention to the next possession rather than dwelling on what just happened.

Scott also shares how he worked through difficult stretches during his career. Early in his sophomore season at Princeton, the team suffered several losses and Scott conceded more goals than he was accustomed to allowing.

Rather than giving in to frustration, he focused on improving, staying positive, and working with his defense to address what was happening.

He believes mental toughness develops through experience, especially when players face difficult losses and learn how to persevere.

Leadership: Save the Ball First

Scott offers a clear progression for goalies who want to become leaders on the field.

First, learn to save the ball. Then, once you can perform that role consistently, begin managing the defense. Finally, develop into a leader who can help guide the entire team.

As a freshman at Princeton, Scott did not see himself as the team's primary leader. Experienced upperclassmen provided much of the leadership while he focused on stopping shots and directing traffic on defense.

By his senior year, however, he understood defensive positioning, slides, and communication so well that organizing the defense had become almost instinctive.

His message is that leadership develops over time. Young goalies do not need to take on every responsibility immediately. Building confidence and mastering the fundamentals creates the foundation for stronger leadership later.

Building a Better Environment for Young Goalies

Scott and Damon also discuss how coaches can make the goalie position more appealing to young players.

Scott cautions coaches against warming up young goalies with shots that are too hard. Getting hit repeatedly at a young age can damage confidence and create fear of the ball.

Instead, coaches should use appropriate shot speeds, tennis balls, softer balls, and gradual progression to help young goalies become comfortable with the position.

They also highlight the importance of team culture. Goalies should feel respected and included, not isolated or treated as an afterthought.

Simple traditions, such as having the team gather around the goalie first after a game, can reinforce the importance of the position. Coaches should also make sure goalies receive a proper warm-up before games.

Creating a supportive environment helps goalies build confidence and encourages more players to try the position.

Scott's Goalie Equipment and Playing Style

Scott shares a few details about the equipment he used during his playing career.

• Black sweatpants: He began wearing them as a young goalie because the extra layer helped reduce the sting when the ball hit his legs. Over time, they became part of his signature look and a superstition.

• Wooden shaft: Scott used a wooden Crooked Arrow shaft because he liked its weight and balance. He preferred the feel of a heavier shaft that balanced the weight of the goalie head.

• Relaxed hand position: Scott preferred a comfortable, loose setup rather than the more pronounced hand position taught by some coaches today.

• Bent knees: Although his stance was relatively upright, he learned to keep his knees slightly bent so he could move toward the ball more efficiently.

These details reinforce Scott's broader point that a goalie needs to understand the fundamentals while finding the equipment and techniques that work best for them.

Memorable Stories and Lessons

This episode is filled with stories from Scott's career, including:

• Using an elbow pad as protection during his first experience in goal.

• Winning MVP at the Top 205 Camp and realizing he could play college lacrosse.

• Choosing Princeton despite the program's struggles at the time.

• Confronting Bill Tierney about the possibility of leaving for Johns Hopkins.

• Turning a heartbreaking overtime loss to Towson into motivation for future success.

• Recovering from a late-game mistake in the 1992 national championship.

• Facing powerful shooters, including Towson's Glenn Smith, whose shot once broke the bridge of Scott's helmet and his nose.

Together, these stories reveal the determination, preparation, support, and resilience behind Scott's remarkable career.

Scott Bacigalupo's Advice for Goalies

Scott leaves listeners with a reminder of how special the goalie position is.

There is only one goalie on the field, and that role carries a unique responsibility to the team. Goalies should take pride in their position and understand how much their attitude and actions influence the players around them.

He also encourages goalies to focus on the saves they make rather than obsessing over the goals they allow. Conceding goals is part of playing the position. The challenge is to keep your head up, communicate with your defense, stay positive, and prepare for the next play.

Keep your head up, stay positive, and remember that your response after a goal matters.

Continue Your Goalie Development

Want to improve your skills, confidence, and understanding of the goalie position? Visit the Lax Goalie Rat Academy for lacrosse goalie training resources, tips, and tools.

Explore the Academy: https://laxgoalierat.com/goal