Mac falls short of bronze

Jeff Tam

Fraser Caldwell

Sports Editor

The Marauders had reeled off an impressive late-season run of form to reach the OUA’s Final Four, but that streak came to the most abrupt of ends on Nov. 5 and 6.

Facing the top two teams in the OUA East and two squads consistently ranked among the country’s elite over the course of the past weekend, McMaster failed to register a win or a goal at the provincial tournament at Laurier.

They opened their weekend account against the defending national champion Queen’s Gaels in the semifinal round, and were simply outclassed through 90 minutes en route to a 3-0 defeat.

The tricolour squad demonstrated the cutting edge that led it to the top of the OUA East standings this season and has Kingston fans hopeful of another championship trophy.

Marauder captain Mel van der Hoop acknowledged that the Gaels had been the superior team throughout the Nov. 5 contest.

“Queen’s is untouchable,” remarked the veteran midfielder. “They’re such a good team, and we knew what we were getting ourselves into. They were the better team that day and they deserved to win.”

It was the result the next afternoon that truly disappointed the members of the Maroon and Grey, as McMaster lost out on a bronze medal and a trip to the national championship tournament with a crushing 4-0 loss at the hands of the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Van der Hoop is wistful as she thinks of the Nov. 6 defeat, knowing that the consolation match represented a massive missed opportunity for the Marauders.

“On Sunday I think we could honestly have done a lot better, and that game was why we were so disappointed.” the captain conceded. “We held them off for a long time, and the 4-0 score shouldn’t have happened. We were right in there but they finished their chances and we didn’t.”

Despite the losses, the Marauders can take solace in the fact that they matched their Final Four progress of last season and have announced the arrival of a long-dormant McMaster squad in the top-tier of the OUA.

McMaster’s accomplishment is particularly impressive given the coaching and systematic change that the team endured this season, a radical turnover that saw the squad struggle in the early going.

“The fact that we pulled things together so fast was impressive,” said van der Hoop of the team’s adjustment. “It wasn’t entirely a surprise because I knew that we had the character to do it. But these things take time to develop.”

However, the team’s admirable performance does not change the harsh reality of faltering on the brink of a provincial medal. For players like van der Hoop who endured the same fate last season, the disappointment is undesirably familiar.

“It’s hard to go out there twice and stand there after the game while the bronze medals are handed out to someone else,” said the captain. “The tables clear and there’s nothing left for you.”