Mac win locks up second spot

Fraser Caldwell

Sports Editor

The Marauders clinched a bye to the OUA quarterfinals in the most emphatic way possible this past weekend, dealing out convincing defeats to the Waterloo Warriors and Laurier Golden Hawks.

In the final weekend of their conference season the Maroon and Grey welcomed the Warriors to Ron Joyce Stadium on Oct. 21, and reignited an offence that had abandoned them in Oshawa a week prior.

McMaster struck the first blow early in the contest, as sophomore striker Paterson Farrell headed home from close range off of a corner kick in the 6th minute. Waterloo remained resolute, and would add a tally of their own before the halftime whistle to tie the match 1-1 after the opening 45 minutes.

However, the Marauders were not to be denied the three points on the night, and regained the lead early in the second half after defender Garret McConville bulged the net with a drive from the edge of the box.

The hosts added an insurance marker in the 74th minute to effectively seal the result when veteran forward Daniel Niksic potted a headed effort of his own from another Marauder set piece. From there, McMaster was content to ride out the remaining minutes and clinch three valuable late-season points.

Two days later, the Marauders completed their regular season schedule with a Sunday afternoon clash with the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo. The campaign-ending match proved to be a romp, as McMaster scored early and often and thoroughly dominated their hosts.

Midfield veteran Mark Reilly opened scoring in the very first minute, providing an ill omen for the Golden Hawks. Reilly would complete a hat trick by the 20th minute to put the Marauders ahead by a score of 3-0 at that early juncture.

McMaster’s scoring spree would continue into the second half, as rookie midfielder Nate Morris notched two goals within mere seconds of one another in the 66th and 67th minutes.

Paterson Farrell added his second tally of the weekend with a 75th minute strike to cap off a rampant day for the Maroon and Grey and clinch a final score of 6-2.

The weekend wins clinched the second position in the OUA West standings for the Marauders and handed them a first round playoff bye. The end result sees McMaster host a conference quarterfinal on Oct. 30 against the Windsor Lancers.

The Lancers earned a spot in that weekend matchup after upsetting the Western Mustangs in London on Oct. 26 by a 4-2 score line.

The Sunday night semifinal will get underway at 7:30 p.m. following the conclusion of the women’s semifinal also scheduled for that evening.

Tyler Hayward / Senior Photo Editor