Looking Back: Maura Cacciatore’s 14th Win in 2002
There is always a time when we like to look back at the past, whether it was remembering a certain moment of our lives, our history, or our sports teams. As part of BSU’s 185th academic year, here is one moment from back then.
Back in 2002, the same year the Euro became the Eurozone Currency, Bears goalie Maura Cacciatore won her 14th game for the BSU Women’s Soccer team, which is currently a school record. This concluded after finishing 9-8-1 in 2001 and losing in the MASCAC final for the second year in a row after losing it in 2000 to conclude a 9-9 season.
Cacciatore had started as the backup to Kristen Young in 2000 where she only played three minutes in one game. Cacciatore also scored one goal. In 2001, Cacciatore and Ryann Archer played nearly an equal number of games with Archer playing in 12 and Cacciatore in 10. Archer went 5-4-1 whereas Cacciatore went 4-4. In 2002 however, Cacciatore, now a junior, shined in her 1,739 minutes. Cacciatore performed a shutout on six different occasions. She only had 2.5 in 2001 and more than doubled her save count from 61 to 143. Due to the efforts of Cacciatore, the Bears advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first, and so far, only, time in BSU Women’s Soccer history.
In the first round, the Bears were in a 0-0 tie after double overtime and had to advance on penalty kicks, which, back in 2002, was allowed to advance. The Bears did just that against Western New England University, which was called Western New England College at the time, crediting Cacciatore with the win. The Bears then lost to Wheaton College in round two. Cacciatore then played one final season in 2003 where she went 9-4-3. The Bears lost to Amherst College in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Bears have won the MASCAC Championship in 2006 and 2023 since her departure.
