RIO DE JANEIRO – Former Maryland field hockey player Katie Bam ('11) has led the USA Field Hockey Team to a 4-0 start at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. Bam has tallied five goals, which leads the tournament through Thursday's play.
After going scoreless in Team USA's first two wins in group play over Argentina and Australia, Bam (formerly O'Donnell) has starred, netting a hat trick in a 6-1 rout of Japan before scoring two goals in a 3-0 win over India.
Bam's first goal against Japan doubled the USA's lead. The all-time leader in goals in Terrapin history redirected a Michelle Vittese pass into the top shelf of the net in the fifth minute.
In the 53rd minute, Bam scored one of the best individual goals of the Olympics, receiving the ball at the top of the circle before weaving past multiple Japanese defenders and striking a hard backhanded shot past the keeper She capped off her hat trick two minutes later off an assist from Kat Sharkey.
"I'm not sure it has sunk in yet," Bam said after the Japan match. "It doesn't feel different from any other game. That's how our coaches prepared us. That no match is different than any other match we have played before. We come in attacking it the same way we always have and always will. Today my hands were feeling great and I managed to find those tight spaces in front of the cage. And in all honesty, I managed to find those spaces in other Olympic games and haven't put them away. Today I'm glad I was able to switch that."
Against India, Bam opened the scoring for the United States in the 14th minute, taking a pass from Katelyn Falgowski in the center of the circle and ripping a backhanded shot into the mesh. Her second goal finished off India in the 42nd minute. The Blue Bell, Pa., native made a driving run down the left wing to the end line before cutting back inside past an India defender and hitting a hard shot through the legs of the keeper.
Former Terp Jill Witmer has also made an impact, tallying for the Terps against Japan. The goal represented her first in Olympic competition. First-year Maryland assistant coach Stefanie Fee has played in all four games.
Bam, Witmer and Team USA are back in action Saturday against Great Britain. Action is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. and will be shown live on CNBC. Fans can also stream the action on NBCOlympics.com.
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