Field Hockey | August 16, 2023

PHILADELPHIA – La Salle University head field hockey coach Martu Loncarica has announced that she will temporarily step away from her duties as head coach due to a personal matter. In her absence, Katie (O'Donnell) Bam has agreed to oversee the program while Loncarica is on leave. 

"I'm excited to share news of a major chapter that has shaken up my world," Loncarica said. "Our family is embarking on an incredibly rare journey, defying the odds with a high-risk twin pregnancy which occurs only 1 in 60,000 cases. To give them the best shot at a strong start, I have been admitted to the hospital full time."

"While I am physically distant, we have struck gold with our new interim head coach, the one and only Katie Bam, " Loncarica continued. "She is not only a field hockey legend in the United States, but her coaching philosophy perfectly aligns with La Salle's field hockey culture. Her fire, passion, and coaching finesse are beyond compare. I will be forever grateful to her for coming onboard. It means the world to me."

A four-time First All-American at the University of Maryland, Bam is one of the most decorated field hockey players in the history of the United States. She was a two-time Honda Award Winner (2009, 2010), a four-time Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was the 2010 ACC Female Athlete of the Year. 

During her four years with the Terrapins, the team won three ACC titles and a pair of NCAA national championships in 2008 and 2010. In the national title game against Wake Forest in '08, Bam scored a goal and registered an assist in Maryland's 4-2 win. 

"I have always said, all things happen for a reason," Bam said. "When we moved back to Pennsylvania a month ago, I didn't know one of those reasons was for me to help the La Salle field hockey team. When Martu called and asked me to help out, I couldn't imagine saying no. It is high on my priority list for people to love their college experience, and I'm happy to play a small part in these girls' season. Hopefully they look back and don't see this as a bump in the road, but rather an amazing opportunity."

A two-time Olympian who has competed in 222 international matches for Team USA, Bam also has an extensive collegiate coaching background. Following a season as an assistant at Harvard in 2016-17, the Norristown, Pa. product rejoined her alma mater as associate head coach from 2017-21. 
 
While on the staff at Maryland, Bam assisted in all aspects of the program and helped lead the team to three straight NCAA championship appearances. In 2019, she joined the United States National Field Hockey Team as a head coach at the U16 level. 

"We are excited for Martu, Nemo and the new additions to the La Salle family," Vice President of Athletics and Recreation Ashwin Puri said. "We are grateful to Katie for stepping in to lead our program and continue the momentum from last season."
 
"As we embark on this new chapter, I'm filled with gratitude for all the support my family has received from near and far," Loncarica concluded. "The road ahead promises growth, challenges, and shared victories. My husband, Nemo and I are eagerly anticipating the arrival of mono-mono twin daughters, and we can't wait to experience it all." 

La Salle opens the season on Friday, August 25 with a local showdown at Temple, beginning at 6:00 p.m.