With 15.9 seconds to go in the fourth quarter and the Flyers leading 10-9, John Balsamo '26 controlled the ball. Against a vicious double-team from McDonogh, Balsamo lost possession, and the Eagles launched the ball towards their offensive end in a desperate final bid for a tying goal. 

McDonogh attackman Bogue Hahn snatched the ball off a bounce and raced towards the net, but he was met by Louis D'Agostino '25, who checked him to the turf as time expired to clinch the Chaminade win.

"It was great hearing that final horn sound," said Sean Connolly '25. "We all worked really hard in the offseason, and seeing that hard work pay off to start the season is great. This win is just one part of the whole mission we have this season."

The Flyers traveled to Maryland over the weekend of March 14 to face two of the top teams in the crab state - McDonogh (Inside Lacrosse's #14 ranked team in the country) and Loyola Blakefield (Inside Lacrosse's #7 ranked team). On Friday, they defeated McDonogh, but on Sunday, they were taken down by Loyola Blakefield, 12-9.

Overall, the trip provided some valuable insights on what the Flyers are capable of doing this season. They showed skill, and they competed hard against two of the nation's best teams.

"I thought the trip was very successful. Our team represented Chaminade exceptionally well," said head coach Jack Moran. "Overall, the coaches are very proud of their effort."

The Flyers set the tone to start the game against McDonogh. William Ball '25 dominated the faceoff X, which gave the Crimson and Gold offense opportunities to attack McDonogh goalie Aidan Seibel, the #1 ranked keeper in the class of 2025, according to Inside Lacrosse.

Gavin Lynch '25, Balsamo, and Connolly all found the back of the net in the opening moments of the contest to give the Flyers an early 3-1 advantage. 

Then, the tide turned as the Eagles hit their stride. McDonogh's defense was rock solid, not giving the Chaminade attack any good chances. On the offensive end, the Eagles thrived, ending the first quarter with two goals, one by Brendan Millon  (Inside Lacrosse's #1 player in the class of 2025), to deadlock the score, 3-3.  

At the beginning of the second quarter, it was more of the same from McDonogh - lockdown defense and a strong attack. The Eagles found their first lead of the game off of a set play, which gave Hahn, another Inside Lacrosse five-star prospect, time and room to shoot one-on-one against Chaminade goalie Kieran Walsh '26. The senior attackman buried his shot from the near wing to put McDonogh in front, 4-3. 

From there, the Flyers took over the game, scoring four straight goals to end the first half. Lynch tallied two of the four, giving him a first-half hat-trick. Walsh was a brick wall in the cage, making multiple crucial saves, and Ball won five straight faceoffs to end the second quarter.  After this second-quarter surge, the intermission score favored the Flyers, 7-4.

"It was very crucial," said Balsamo. "Those four goals gave us momentum and energy to win the game."

"It was super important, and it shifted the game in our favor," added Lynch. "Everyone was pumped up after the first half, and it allowed us to get into a flow."

In the third quarter, there wasn't much scoring, as both Walsh and Seibel were great in the cage. The Flyers added goals by Balsamo and James Gillis '26 in the period to bring the score to 9-4, as the Crimson and Gold maintained the majority of the possession throughout the period, allowing them to control the pace of the game.

Down five goals with a quarter to play, McDonogh mounted a massive comeback, as the Eagles erupted for four straight goals. FOGO Ciaran Sweeney, an Inside Lacrosse four-star prospect, won three out of four faceoffs to start the period, which set up opportunities for the attack.

In the first few minutes of the period, Hunter Metz (Inside Lacrosse's #7 player in the class of 2026) put two past Walsh to cut Chaminade's lead to three. Later in the quarter, Millon tallied two more goals - one on a beautiful behind-the-back shot - to bring the Eagles within one. 

The Flyers were on the ropes with the Eagles on their tails, but they stayed composed and ran their offense to perfection. On the ensuing possession, the ball was in the stick of Balsamo, who once again came up clutch for the Crimson and Gold, netting his fourth goal of the game to give his Flyers just enough cushion to melt the clock away.

In the final moments, Millon scored yet another incredible goal for the Eagles, but it wasn't enough, as Chaminade took home the victory, 10-9.

Balsamo and Lynch combined for 10 points in the contest.

"Gavin and John were big parts of an excellent offensive showing," said Coach Moran. "They both made big shots when we needed them."

Ball, who went 17-for-23 from the faceoff dot, and Walsh, who saved 10 shots, were also crucial contributors.

Two days later, the Flyers took on the Dons of Loyola Blakefield. Once again, the Crimson and Gold jumped out to a quick start. With half of the first quarter gone, Chaminade had a 2-1 lead after Lynch buried two jump-shots, bringing his weekend total to five.

From that point on, the Dons dominated the game, scoring four unanswered goals. Bennett Cook, an Inside Lacrosse three-star prospect, buried two before the end of the first quarter to complete his hat trick and provide his team a 3-2 lead. Early in the second quarter, Loyola Blakefield added two more - including an incredible goal off of two consecutive roll-dodges from Cooper Pasko - to extend its edge to three. 

Chaminade climbed its way back into the game, answering with two goals from Gillis and Connolly to end the second quarter. At the end of the first half, the Dons led, 5-4.

In the second half, both teams battled hard in a wire-to-wire affair. In the fourth quarter, penalties hurt the Flyers down the stretch, as the Dons pulled away to a 12-9 win, the product of a great offensive attack and even better goalie play from Jesse D'Alonzo. 

"I think our offense could have played better," admitted Gillis, who registered a hat trick in the contest. "We didn't have the same flow that we usually do, and didn't hold onto the ball as much as we wanted to. Obviously, it is still early in the season, and we will find our flow."

"We ran into a very hot goalie," added Coach Moran. "We also made a few defensive communication mistakes and didn't shoot the ball as well as we are capable."

The Flyers now shift their focus to a date with Stepinac on March 26 in the team's first home game of the season. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.