Chaminade's Standouts During the Flyers' Trip to Maryland

Starting the season a week earlier than usual, Jack Moran's Flyers made their way down to the Baltimore area over Chaminade's spring break to face MIAA mainstays McDonogh and Loyola, mixing in practice at legendary Homewood Field and a trip to Annapolis for Navy-Hopkins. On the field, the Flyers split the trip 1-1, knocking off McDonogh in front of a raucous crowd after building a commanding lead, then staved off the Eagles' comeback efforts. Two days later, the Flyers put together a strong effort in a tight battle with the Dons but ultimately fell 12-9. Here's a look at five of Chaminade's standouts after being in attendance for Sunday's clash and catching much of Friday's livestream:    Every time I make a live evaluation of Ball, it feels as though he's gotten bigger and better than the last time around. He has a humble, workmanlike way about him that stands out — Ball is all business at the X and is as technical as they come. He was terrific in Chaminade's win at McDonogh, winning 19-of-23 in a matchup against the top-ranked '26 face-off specialist in the country. During Sunday's loss to Loyola, Ball had a similar showing and had little trouble winning the ball to himself. He's so athletic, skilled, and poised with the ball that his coaches never have to worry about what he's going to do after the win, despite opponents doing everything in their power to take the ball away from him. I'd be shocked if Ball doesn't work his way onto the field from Day 1 once he joins the Quakers' program. He'll certainly be needed, given the fact that Penn sits in the bottom 10 nationally in face-off percentage.     Balsamo was off-the-charts in the fall and has picked up right where he left off, this time in a more structured setting. Making up an attack unit with players committed to Duke and Johns Hopkins, Balsamo has been the star of the show thus far, putting up four goals and two assists at McDonogh and two goals and three assists at Loyola. In the big win over the Eagles, his artful dodging and timely scoring were big reasons why the Flyers built a big lead and escaped with a victory. He's so shifty and aggressive as a dodger, whether that's from X or the wing. When he's not beating defensemen off the dodge, he's beating goalies with a phenomenal outside shot, so he's particularly difficult to game-plan for. Beyond his offensive ability, Balsamo mixes it up with gritty play in the riding game and when the ball is on the ground. I don't usually notice a huge difference in a player's development from July to November, but Balsamo was undoubtedly an exception, and he's elevated his game even more since the fall to become a dangerous all-around playmaker in his second year as a starter.     Last year, Connolly put together an awesome junior season as a shortstick defensive midfielder and made some excellent plays in transition. Early on in his senior season, he's made a sizable impact as a two-way threat, even if his numbers won't blow anybody away. With all that being said, I felt inclined to tip my cap to Connolly for his versatility. A fiery competitor, he makes the right decision every time and plays fast without thinking too much. Connolly found the net on an absolute cannon from range against McDonogh, then scored a pretty goal against the Dons on Sunday. Popping onto the high crease, he caught a feed from Balsamo in his off-hand and finished an overhand shot. I love how hard he plays and how comfortable he is on both sides of the ball, attributes that will serve him well once he matriculates to BU.     Now in his third year as a starter for the Flyers, D'Agostino is the prototypical Long Island lunchpail defenseman and plays far bigger than he is. The son of a former New York Jet (Louis Sr.), the high-energy lefty flips his hips and moves exceptionally well laterally, doing his best 1v1 cover work above the cage. I'd imagine he's spent a lot of time watching fellow Hewlett native Gavin Adler, as he has some elements of his game in his skill set. D'Agostino, who will reportedly become the first Chaminade lacrosse player to suit up for Syracuse, has all of the desired intangibles and was highly impressive as a leader in the Flyers' huddle and on the sideline. With his physicality and clean stick work, he's an asset on the wings (on the infrequent occasion that Ball didn't win the ball to himself) and has a motor that never stops.     Always fun to watch, Lynch has an incredible knack for making plays that his team feeds off of. Although the Flyers ultimately came up short, Lynch scored Chaminade's first two goals against Loyola on a turnaround shot on EMO and a jumper. During Friday night's contest, he scored a pair of beautiful goals during a three-goal, one-assist outing. One was a flat-out ridiculous bomb from Steph Curry range just a step or two in front of the restraining line, a shot that found the bottom corner. Later in the game off an invert, Lynch showed off his fancy footwork on a nasty inside roll, utilizing head and stick fakes to beat a phenomenal keeper. A hard-charger who simply knows how to find the back of the net, Lynch is the type of player who the Flyers will lean on throughout his senior season before he makes his way to South Bend.

Starting the season a week earlier than usual, Jack Moran's Flyers made their way down to the Baltimore area over Chaminade's spring break to face MIAA mainstays McDonogh and Loyola, mixing in practice at legendary Homewood Field and a trip to Annapolis for Navy-Hopkins. On the field, the Flyers split the trip 1-1, knocking off McDonogh in front of a raucous crowd after building a commanding lead, then staved off the Eagles' comeback efforts. Two days later, the Flyers put together a strong effort in a tight battle with the Dons but ultimately fell 12-9.

Here's a look at five of Chaminade's standouts after being in attendance for Sunday's clash and catching much of Friday's livestream: