It’s the final countdown

Momentum in sports is a tricky thing. Sometimes it isn’t enough to be good when you need it.

As a team, you have to play well before that big game, or that deep playoff run, to fine-tune your performances and ensure that, when the time comes, you are not starting from scratch. With a four-game win streak under their belt, the Mac men know this better than anyone, and are looking to ride that momentum when it matters most.

Sitting on a 6-1 record, McMaster has capitalized on two strong games to affix themselves atop the Ontario University Athletics leaderboard. Mac currently sits in a three-way tie with the Western Mustangs and the Laurier Golden Hawks. Dominant wins against Queen’s (36-6) and York (64-2) in the last two weeks have given Mac plenty of confidence to build on as they head into the final act of the season, a showdown on the road against the rival Mustangs.

“[The win streak] feels good going in,” said fifth-year wide receiver Bennett Megarry. “But the Ottawa game is definitely something we [have] been thinking about every week and we want another shot at them. Going into this week playing Western, this game has an explanation point on it. We are excited to get at them, and it will be a good test of where we are at.”

With a top seed and a first-round playoff bye hanging in the balance, a win for the Marauders has the ability to shape their entire playoff run, but it won’t be easy. Currently ranked third in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports rankings while sporting a five-game win streak, the Western Mustangs have been incredible offensively, besting two other CIS top 10 teams in Ottawa and Laurier and putting up a stunning 113 points in the process.

“It’s the biggest game of the season,” said fifth-year linebacker Cole Munden. “They have a solid running game, they have a big [offensive] line, good blocking… they always bring it, so we have to make sure we come ready.”

Luckily, Mac has its own weapons to rely on. Running back Chris Pezzetta is putting up the best numbers of his career, with 646 yards and 92.3 yards per game this season, good enough for fifth in the OUA. Against York, Pezzetta ran for 162 yards on 14 carries and a pair of touchdowns in just two quarters of play, setting a single game career best of 11.6 yards per carry in the process.

“I honestly can not say a single bad thing about that guy,” said Megarry. “Perseverance, determination and at the end of the day a love of the sport, it is something that as a teammate your rarely see at that level. He’s been playing lights out.”

Pezzetta wasn’t the only record setting performance. Rookie wunderkind Adam Preocanin went a perfect seven for seven in field goal conversions against Queen’s, marking a new McMaster best and tying the OUA record set by Toronto’s Lance Chomyc in 1982. Against York he added two more field goals to match the McMaster single-season record of 24, putting him two back of Guelph’s Daniel Ferraro’s 2014 OUA and CIS single-season records heading into the Western matchup.

Perocanin’s success could also spell trouble for the Marauders, who have struggled converting long drives into touchdowns so far this year. Despite Perocanin’s 24 points, Mac only found their way into the end zone once against Queen’s, and will need to create seven-point drives if they want to stay competitive with the Mustangs.

They will also need a strong defensive stance to limit Western’s scoring chances. Fifth-year defensive end Mike Kashak has been a bright spot for Mac, recording 4.5 quarterback sacks for losses of 37 yards, seven total tackles, and a forced fumble against Queen’s. His impressive performance earned him the CIS defensive player of the week award, and his CIS leading-11.5 sacks puts him one sack shy of the national single-season record set in 2012 by former McMaster teammate Ben D’Aguilar.

“He is a very well-spoken leader,” said Munden. “He brings a lot of tenacity to the field, and a lot of other players, myself included, we feed off of it.”

Even with strong performances leading into the last week, McMaster’s playoff picture is still uncertain. The Mac men will all have to be at their best if they want to set themselves up for a successful run.

But that’s the thing about momentum; you never know how far it will take you.