As the postseason approaches, the Chaminade Flyers are peaking at the right time. After four of their last five tilts ended in victory, the Crimson and Gold's win total now sits at 11 with two games remaining on their regular-season schedule.

"Every practice and every game is building up to our final game," said captain John Balsamo. "Our focus has been on improving each day. We're ready to go into the final stretch of the season."

Chaminade's first contest in this most recent stretch came against New Cannan on April 21 at Gold Star Stadium.

It was an electric first quarter for the Flyers' offense. Thanks to a pair of assists from Balsamo and two goals from Hayden Sipress, Chaminade created a comfortable 5-1 lead after 12 minutes.

The first quarter was followed by a slow, low-scoring second frame in which goalies Kieran Walsh and Jack Crowell combined for eight saves. The Rams' Finn Roeder was the only one able to break the ice, scoring with 52.4 seconds remaining in the first half to cut the Flyers lead to three. 

The defenses continued to dominate in the third, as there were only five total shots in the period. Thanks to the strong efforts of both Walsh and Crowell, the score remained 5-2 heading into the final frame.

In the first 53 seconds of the fourth quarter, the Flyers twice broke through, with Balsamo feeding William Pizzo each time for the pair of goals.

With the score now 7-2, the Rams tried to rally behind Matthew Reed, who netted two tallies just nine seconds apart. However, the hole for New Canaan proved too big to climb out of, and the Pizzo-Balsamo connection struck again to bring Chaminade's advantage back to four with 6:46 to play.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Flyers had collected an 8-5 victory, their fourth straight.

"New Cannan threw a zone at us and packed it in tight, which goes against everything that we practice," said head coach Greg Kay '98. "Once we put Balsamo and Pizzo on the right side, our offense was able to score a few goals." 

"They were in a zone, but we were moving the ball well," reflected Pizzo, who netted a hat trick. "John always has his head up when he's dodging, so he's an awesome contributor and great for our team."

The Flyers continued to flex their Mineola muscle over the next three games, scoring 47 goals en route to three victories. Sandwiched in between home Ws over Boston College High School and Iona Prep was the annual Reg's Rock battle with Manhasset High School, a showdown staged annually in honor of Sgt. James J. Regan '98.

Chaminade represented Regan's alma mater well in a balanced 15-6 road victory on April 25, with 12 different goal scorers contributing for the Crimson and Gold.

"I'm honored and grateful that my teammates selected me to represent Jimmy Regan this season," said James Gillis, who sports #19 in honor of Regan. "His discipline, work ethic, and sacrifice means so much to our program, and it inspires us daily. I know the responsibility that comes with wearing #19, and it pushes me to be my best self every day on and off the field."

"Jimmy was one of my best friends, so this game was extra special for me," said Kay, who played with Regan at Chaminade. "We know what he represented, and everything that is said is 100% true. We want our guys to be like Jimmy. Winning was also really important to Jimmy, so getting the win was a nice cherry on top."

Just over a week later, on May 3, the Flyers traveled to New Jersey for the third time in 2026, this time to face Delbarton. Unfortunately for Chaminade, a flowery finish was not in the cards on this final foray into the Garden State.

Delbarton dominated from start to finish, winning 15-5 to defend its home turf. Due to the lack of a shot clock in New Jersey high-school lacrosse, the Green Wave controlled possession throughout, allowing Chaminade to secure just two faceoff victories. 

"We didn't win any faceoffs," admitted Kay. "There was no shot clock, and they controlled possession, so it was one of those tough games for us."

The 11-4 Flyers now hope to conquer Connecticut teams from Wilton and Darien to finish the regular season strong before the team's championship clash against St. Anthony's at Hofstra University on May 13.