After a rocky season that ended prematurely in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Maryland, Duke lacrosse retooled in the transfer portal. The Chronicle is here to recap some of the key additions, as well as Charles Balsamo, who left the program:
Incoming transfers
Aiden Blake, Cornell: Aiden Blake brings depth to the Blue Devil midfield and comes to Durham after four seasons manning midfield at Cornell. During his time as a Bear, the Haddonfield, N.J., native tallied 38 goals, including a career high 18 in his senior season.
Graham Blake, Harvard: Unrelated to fellow Ivy League transfer Aiden Blake, attackman Graham Blake ranked second in goals on the Crimson and seventh in the Ivy League during his senior season. Scoring in every game last season, the graduate transfer looks to help replace the lost firepower on the attacking end after departures of Brennan O’Neill, Josh Zawada and Dyson Williams to the PLL.
Chris Cusolito, Providence: Graduate student Cusolito brings veteran experience to a young but robust Blue Devil midfield, one that may well provide the bulk of Duke’s goals this season. Alongside returners Andrew McAdorey, Max Sloat and Benn Johnston — good for 68 goals between them in 2024 — Cusolito adds 18 goals and 15 assists from 15 starts in his final season with the Friars. Given the talent at head coach John Danowski’s disposal, a start isn’t guaranteed, but expect substantial minutes from the bench from Cusolito to supplement an entirely new-look attack line.
Tommy Drago, Syracuse: Drago makes the trip to Durham from a top-four seed in last spring’s NCAA tournament, where he helped the Orange to one of its best seasons in recent memory. The graduate long-stick midfielder comes in to lessen the effects of regular All-American honoree Tyler Carpenter’s departure to the PLL, particularly on the man-down unit, where he played an integral role in Syracuse’s “Junkyard Dawgs” rotation.
Luke Grayum, Richmond: Grayum scored a point in 14 of his 16 games played last season for the Spiders. The graduate attacker showcased his immense goal-scoring capabilities during his multiple seven-goal performances, which set Richmond’s program record. The leading scorer on his former team, Grayum will certainly be a nice addition to Danowski’s front line.
Eric Malever, Maryland: Looking to help fill the O-Neill-Williams-Zawada goalscoring chasm comes Malever, a graduate transfer from a Maryland squad that played for a national championship last season. The 6-foot-1 attackman was tied for a team-leading 22 assists on top of 15 goals, making him a potential vital playmaking piece. Malever also brings championship-winning experience to Durham, playing every game in Maryland’s dominant 2022 title run and scoring his team’s first goal in the championship game against Cornell to cap off his 48-point season.
Paul Weathington, Princeton: Through a series of unfortunate injuries, graduate short-stick defensive midfielder Weathington’s collegiate career has been limited to only 15 games. The Westminster School product played a total of three matches his senior year before a knee injury put him out for the season. The Ivy League transfer does, however, bring NCAA tournament experience from the Tigers’ first-round bout against Penn State in 2023. Though he played just over a dozen games at Princeton, Weathington certainly adds veteran expertise to an ever-learning Blue Devil squad.
Outgoing transfers
Charles Balsamo, Virginia: Balsamo’s departure is a bitter loss for Danowski’s midfield, for more reasons than his on-field output. A regular starter his freshman year — including in the 2023 national championship game, where he scored a goal — who contributed 31 total points in his first season, Balsamo’s role dwindled as a sophomore in part due to increased competition from the likes of Sloat and Johnston. McAdorey’s move back from attack made it three places for four players, forcing Danowski to rotate and potentially causing dissent in Balsamo after starting 18-of-19 games as a freshman. Duke has already lost most of its goal-scoring potential, an issue that Balsamo’s departure by no means helps. To add insult to injury, Danowski now has to play against his former starboy, who transferred to Virginia in a shock move this offseason.
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Andrew Long is a Trinity senior and recruitment/social chair of The Chronicle's 120th volume. He was previously sports editor for Volume 119.