Men and women's soccer teams win Marauders honours prior to playoff games as regular season winds down
On Oct. 23, McMaster Athletics and Recreation announced the Marauder Athlete of the Week awards recognizing outstanding athletic performances for the week of Oct. 16 to 23. Emilie Calabrese and Sachin Sargeant from the women and men’s soccer team respectively were given the honours to close out the final week of the season.
Both players played crucial roles to help their teams to late-season victories.
Calabrese scored a pivotal penalty goal for the Marauders on Oct. 20 against the University of Windsor Lancers. Despite quickly finding themselves down 2-0 in the first five minutes of play, Calabrese capitalized on a foul call towards the end of the half to narrow the deficit for the team.
Despite quickly finding themselves down 2-0 in the first five minutes of play, Calabrese capitalized on a foul call towards the end of the half to narrow the deficit for the team.
The veteran midfielder would go on to chip in an assist to forward Alena Spehar at the 67:49 mark, as the Marauders eventually went on to win the game 3-2.
Despite losing their final regular season game 0-2 against the Western University Mustangs, Calabrese and the women’s team finished with an excellent record of eight wins, two losses and two ties.
For the men’s team, Sargeant nabbed his first goal of the season on Oct. 22 against the Mustangs. A late goal by midfielder Joseph Guindy helped to seal the game for the maroon and grey as they collected a win in their final bout before the Ontario University Athletics playoffs.
The match marked the seventh regular season win for the men, who tied for the third best record with the University of Guelph Gryphons in the west OUA conference.
The match marked the seventh regular season win for the men, who tied for the third best record with the University of Guelph Gryphons
The men’s team began their postseason on Oct. 25 as they won their opening round game against Wilfrid Laurier University 1-0. On Oct. 28, the women faced the Gryphons in their quarterfinal at Ron Joyce Stadium.
After encouraging efforts by both the men and women throughout the regular season, the Marauders will hope to make a deep playoff push and bring this year’s provincial championship home to Hamilton.
McMaster's fastpitch team rakes in two all-star nominations as regular season winds down
Beginning their season on Sept. 9, the Marauder women’s fastpitch team faced their first opponent, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, in a doubleheader match-up. Disappointing scorelines and losses in both games seemed to set the stage for the remainder of the team’s season.
As the year went on, the Marauders struggled to keep pace in their league. They finished the season with a record of two wins and 18 losses. The team’s record would leave them at the bottom of the Ontario University Softball leagues west division just below the University of Waterloo.
Their last-place finish kept the Marauders out of this year’s playoffs, where the Varsity Blues were able to clinch the gold medal. Despite the disappointing results, two Marauder athletes excelled this past season, winning themselves OUS All- Star honours.
The team’s two recipients of the award were Julie Bland and Eibhlis Hopkins. Bland and Hopkins are both in their second year on the team. Bland plays as the team’s pitcher while Hopkins also pitches and plays as an outfielder.
With at least three more years of eligibility for the two players, the Marauders fastpitch team will likely look to grow in the coming years. The team is led by head coach Manny Amaro, who has been a coach for the women’s fastpitch team since 2009.
For their season next fall, Amaro will likely look to employ Bland and Hopkin’s skills in the new year to help the team generate better results.
The Silhouette sits down with team members from the women's cross country and soccer team to hear how they are celebrating Halloween this year
Many of the Marauder teams have plans to celebrate Halloween together, including women's cross country and women's soccer teams.
The Silhouette sat down with Olivia MacAskill from the cross country team and Ravina Braich and Nikki Pourgoutzidis from the soccer team to hear more about their plans.
The Silhouette: Do you like Halloween?
MacAskill: I do really enjoy Halloween. I think it’s really fun to show some Halloween spirit around the team and at practice. I think this day also serves as a nice reminder that it doesn’t have to be so serious all the time and we can keep working on getting stronger as a team and put some good work in at practice, all while having some fun with costumes. I am also a strength and conditioning student coach at [McMaster University], and this year I’ve heard word that there will be a costume contest between the coaches and student coaches. I am definitely looking forward to that and I hope my peanut butter toast costume is received well by the judging panel.
I think it’s really fun to show some Halloween spirit around the team and at practice. I think this day also serves as a nice reminder that it doesn’t have to be so serious all the time and we can keep working on getting stronger as a team and put some good work in at practice, all while having some fun with costumes.
Olivia MacAskill, team member, Marauders cross country
Braich and Pourgoutzidis: We do, we really like to dress up and get candy.
The Silhouette: What is your Halloween costume this year?
MacAskill: At practice this year I think I will wear my peanut butter toast costume. There is a matching jam suit to go with it. [They are] a couples costume from Spirit Halloween that I usually convince a teammate to wear with me every year for practice, so hopefully someone steps up with some good Halloween spirit.
Braich and Pourgoutzidis: We are going to be Barbie and the three musketeers, from a Barbie movie, where it's Barbie and her three friends [as the musketeers].
The Silhouette: What is your favourite Halloween memory at Mac?
MacAskill: I remember in first year we had a practice on Halloween, I didn’t wear a costume and I wasn’t expecting my teammates to wear any either. When I arrived to practice, I remember seeing some of the upper year boys dressed in some fun outfits, including a cow costume! Paula, our coach, has also dressed her dog Lily up in some cute costumes over the years and even owns one of those big inflatable costumes as well, which has made an appearance before. After first year, my friends and I always made an effort to wear costumes to the practices that fell around Halloween. In my second year I took the Hawaiian theme approach. . .It seemed simple and an outfit I could easily run in. In the third and fourth year the toast costumes came out. I can’t say this costume is the easiest to run in, but it is definitely the most fun! I think that will be the plan again for this year as well.
In the third and fourth year the toast costumes came out. I can’t say this costume is the easiest to run in, but it is definitely the most fun! I think that will be the plan again for this year as well.
Olivia MacAskill, team member, Marauders cross country
What are you most excited about for your first Halloween at Mac?
Braich: I’m excited to see what everyone dresses up as and to meet new people this Halloween.
Pourgoutzidis: I’m excited for a floor trick or treating event. Our floor is going to walk around and trick or treat at people’s dorm rooms.
After a dominant performance in the Ontario University Athletics championships, the McMaster women’s tennis team lands a place on the podium
The Ontario University Athletics tennis season began on Sept. 9 for the McMaster University men and women’s teams.
Unfortunately, both teams started the year with disheartening losses to the University of Toronto. As the season went on, the women’s team saw a few close losses to York University and Western University before scoring a big win against University of Ottawa. The men’s team saw a similar set of results, drawing victories and defeats against the same teams during their campaign.
On Oct. 6, both the women's and men's teams competed in the OUA championship located at Mayfair Toronto East.
The women’s team faced the Brock University Badgers as their opponent and were able secure a win for the match with a score of 7-0.
The women were able to compete in the tournament’s bronze medal match against the Western Mustangs, who previously beat the Marauders during the regular season. With a piece of hardware on the line, the Marauders were able to find their way to the podium with a dominant 6-1 victory.
With a piece of hardware on the line, the Marauders were able to find their way to the podium with a dominant 6-1 victory.
The Marauder men's team faced Waterloo University in the first round. The match provided an early exit for the maroon and grey team when they were unable to secure a win. The second match of the championship competition saw the women’s team face a familiar foe, the University of Toronto. Unfortunately, McMaster was unable to beat the Varsity Blues, losing by a score of 2-5.
Though both teams will finish their year with a losing record, the women’s team was still able to end the season on a high note.
Though both teams will finish their year with a losing record, the women’s team was still able to end the season on a high note.
This achievement represents the Marauders’ women's teams second OUA bronze medal in the last two years. Looking ahead, this team will likely hope to build on their strong foundation in the off-season and return next year with a deep roster and ambitions to win.
McMaster Performance and Women’s Athletic Leadership Committee’s new program supports female athletes by offering educational resources and events
On Oct. 11, McMaster Performance and the McMaster Women’s Athletic Leadership Committee announced the launch of the McMaster Female Athlete Health Program on their Instagram.
In their post, the groups explained that the initiative is focused on informing female athletes on how to better their health and athletic performance. Part of MFAHP includes providing educational events on these topics, such as nutrition, breast health and the hormone cycle.
The MFAHP plans to support female athletes’ health and performance by providing resources for them and connecting them with others in the community.
In line with the initiative, the MFAHP will be hosting two educational nights on Oct. 26 and Nov. 30.
The first of the events was held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ivor Wynne Centre in room E201. There was discussion on strength training and the hormone cycle, featuring guest speakers Alena Luciani, founder of the performance coaching service Training2XL, and Alysha D’Souza, a McMaster University PhD candidate in the Department of Kinesiology.
While guest speakers have yet to be announced for the Nov. 30 event, the topic will be related to nutrition, performance and self-image.
Students can register for the session free of charge on the MFAHP page.
The MFAHP program represents an excellent opportunity for McMaster female athletes to connect over shared experiences and grow their knowledge about their personal health, wellbeing and performance.
A new season has begun for the Marauders cross country team, with new faces looking to fill big shoes from previous seasons
The McMaster University cross country season kicked off on Sept. 23 when the Marauders competed in the Vigars and Salter Western Invitational. It was a respectable weekend, with the women’s team earning a fourth place finish and the men’s team landing in eighth.
On Sept. 30, in the second competition of the season, the Marauders earned themselves a first-place finish for both the men and women’s teams at the Don Mills Open in Waterloo.
The competition highlighted the strengths of team. On the women’s team, Kaitlyn Treleaven got herself onto the podium with a third-place finish. Her teammates, Emma Elliott and Ella Madsen, finished within the top six of all runners in the University of Waterloo competition to help the team to win first overall.
For the Marauders men's team, fourth-year Connor Lashley also put himself on the podium with a third-place finish. His teammates Ryan Davies and Giancarlo Farruggia finished just behind Lashley, in our fourth and fifth place respectively, to round out a solid day.
This season the men’s roster has reshaped itself after the graduation of key athletes such as Max Turek, Andrew Davies and Alex Drover. Their previous season saw all three compete at the national level and win a historic U Sports championship for McMaster.
The recent departure of these athletes though has opened opportunities for others on the Marauders team, including runner Lashley. While previous injuries have kept Lashley from being a major part of the cross country team in previous years, he hopes to make a bigger impact this season.
“This year I’ve found a lot more focus. In previous years, I’ve had battles with injury and sickness… I’m happy with how I’ve been running the past few months and I’m excited to see what [Ontario University Athletics] and U Sports has in store,” said Lashley.
This year I’ve found a lot more focus. In previous years, I’ve had battles with injury and sickness. . .I’m happy with how I’ve been running the past few months and I’m excited to see what [Ontario University Athletics] and U Sports has in store
Conner Lashley, cross country runner
He has already started the season in strong fashion, winning the bronze medal at the Don Mills Open along with a thirty eighth-placed finish in the Vigars and Salter Western Invitational. Compared to last season, Lashley finished in fifty eighth place in the opening weekend at Western, indicating steady improvement for the veteran athlete.
Lashley credits such the strong start to the season to a solid preseason and a lack of stress coming from the confidence he has in himself. He will hope to bring this mindset into the rest of the season, where the team looks to qualify for the Ontario University Athletics championship.
“I find being too stressed before the season starts can be negative. Reducing stress can be difficult if you don’t feel confident with a good preseason, so getting a really good base is everything. Linking months of training together is the only way to run consistently well and confidently,” said Lashley.
Along with Lashley, other runners will look to spur the team on going forward to continue last year’s dominant reign. This includes both A. Davies and Farruggia, two runners who helped the team capture first place at the Don Mills Open.
“A lot of us want to step up this year. We have a very young and fresh roster. A lot of us haven’t even had the opportunity to race at OUAs. . .But McMaster has a really deep cross country team,” said Lashley.
A lot of us want to step up this year. We have a very young and fresh roster. A lot of us haven’t even had the opportunity to race at OUAs. . .But McMaster has a really deep cross country team
Conner Lashley, cross country runner
The Marauders will look to have strong showings in upcoming races, including the Bayfront Open which they will host. For Lashley and other runners on the team, there are some big shoes to fill.
The McMaster baseball team won this year's regional qualifiers, giving them the chance to compete for the OUA Championship title
McMaster University’s men's baseball team had a rocky start to the fall season. The team had four losses before their first win of the season against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 16.
As the season has progressed, it seems as though the Marauders were able to their team together. After their first win against Ottawa, the team brought in more wins and any losses tended to be closer in score.
The team picked up big victories against Waterloo University and Queen's University. Waterloo beat the Marauders in their first meeting of the season, but the Marauders proved themselves in winning the second meeting. With Queen’s being last year’s Ontario University Athletics champions, a win against the team proved the Marauder’s high calibre of play. Key players stepped up, such as Matt Underwood, who batted a great game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees and gave the team a great offensive opportunity.
Key players stepped up, such as Matt Underwood, who batted a great game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees and gave the team a great offensive opportunity.
After the regular season concluded on Oct. 1, the Marauders finished with a record of seven wins and nine losses. The team hosted the OUA West Regional Qualifiers at Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium on Oct. 6 and 7.
McMaster competed against the Brock University Badgers to start the weekend and narrowly lost with a score of 10-12. The second game of the competition saw the Marauders beat University of Guelph to automatically place the team into the competition’s finals. They took on the Badgers for a second time in the finals, finding a 8-2 win on route to being crowned OUA West champions.
They took on the Badgers for a second time in the finals, finding a 8-2 win on route to being crowned OUA West champions.
The Marauders’ win sent the team through to the OUA championship semifinals. They took on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Oct. 13, but unfortunately, the Marauders could not find the win ending the game with a score of 1-6.
The team will compete for the OUA Championship bronze medal on Oct. 14. They will play against Carleton University, with the Marauders likely hoping to bring home one last piece of hardware for the season.
Myma Okuda-Rayfuse honoured with the Hydro One Safe Play Award for creating safe and inclusive space for rowing team
Since beginning her tenure as a rowing coach just two years ago, Myma Okuda-Rayfuse has already made a name for herself. Last year, Okuda-Rayfuse helped lead the Marauders to a big performance at the Ontario University Athletics championship where they won three medals. On Sept. 13, she was awarded the Hydro One Safe Play Award by the Coaching Association of Ontario.
This award is given to a coach who creates a positive environment for their athletes and allows them to feel safe and included in their sport. According to the Coaching Association of Ontario, Okuda-Rayfuse does this to the highest level through her involvement at McMaster University, as well as with the Hamilton-based Leander Boat Club.
According to the Coaching Association of Ontario, Okuda-Rayfuse does this to the highest level through her involvement at McMaster University, as well as with the Hamilton-based Leander Boat Club.
Not long ago, Okuda-Rayfuse was an athlete for McMaster, excelling as a member of the varsity rowing team from 2014 until 2019. She earned many accolades with her rowing crew, winning multiple regattas for the Marauders while also being named to the 2018 Team Canada roster.
It was in 2021 that she made the jump from rower to rowing coach, beginning her career as co- head coach of the team and assuming sole responsibility of the position in 2022.
The Hydro One Safe Play Award awards recipients with funding to assist in equipment costs for current athletes. As rowing is an OUA sport, this additional funding will help the team greatly in reducing costs that may not be covered by the university.
The Hydro One Safe Play Award awards recipients with funding to assist in equipment costs for current athletes.
Along with her knowledge and experience in the sport, Okuda-Rayfuse’s coaching guidance is a major asset for athletes currently in the rowing program at the university. It is the beginning of an extremely career for Okuda-Rayfuse, and McMaster is lucky to have her.
Men's soccer and both men and women's cross country land in top ten of recent U Sports power rankings
On Sept. 26, U Sports released their weekly power rankings for Canadian university teams across several sports. The men and women’s cross country team ranked fifth and ninth in their respective standings, while men’s soccer slid into eighth in the national circuit.
Just before the release of the rankings, both cross country teams put on a solid performance at the Vigars and Salter Western Invitational on Sept. 23.
On the women’s team, veterans Hannah Goodjohn and Rosalyn Barrett both placed in the top 10 at the meet, finishing with times of 30:14 and 30:25. Their efforts helped push the team to fourth place overall, just missing the podium by one point. The St. Francis Xavier University X-Women finished with 116 points.
Their efforts helped push the team to fourth place overall, just missing the podium by one point. The St. Francis Xavier University X-Women finished with 116 points.
For the men’s team, rookie Kamran Brar completed the race as the top runner , nabbing the thirty-fourth place out of 147 qualifying runners with the Marauder’s best time of 26:38. Brar led the team to an eighth place finish, along with top-50 finishes from Connor Lashley, Lukas Vadeika, Noah Mulkewich and William Weist.
Prior to the release of the U Sports rankings, the men’s soccer team snagged a tough 1-0 victory over the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks on Sept. 22. Sachin Sargeant, a returning member from last year’s Ontario University Athletics championship team, scored a late-game goal in the second half of the match that propelled the team to their fourth win of the regular season.
Following the game, the Marauders played their second match against the Golden Hawks on Sept. 24, winning another tightly contested game 1-0 with a penalty shot by sophomore Damiano Refosco. The win pushed the team to a four-game win streak and an overall record of five wins and two losses for the season.
The win pushed the team to a four-game win streak and an overall record of five wins and two losses for the season.
With these early successesacross both sports, the Marauders have put themselves in a good position for the rest of the season.
During another great weekend of golf for McMaster, Nicolas Dessureault secured second place on the podium
The McMaster University golf team began their fall season on a high note, winning a silver medal at the McMaster Invitational.
After a successful previous season, Nicolas Dessureault returned for his fifth and final season of golf with McMaster. Last year, Dessureault was able to clinch the Ontario University Athletics title for McMaster for the first time in 18 years.
This season, Dessureault looks to continue bringing in good results for the team. Dessureault has already delivered on this, continuing his streak after a phenomenal performance in the McMaster Invitational at the Chippewa Creek Golf and Country Club.
He captured his first individual gold medal of the 2023 season after a great round, finishing four below par overall on the course and five points below the competition's silver medalist.
While reflecting on the season ahead, Dessureault emphasized the importance of the team component of the game. University golf has four golfers per team, where they compete as both individual athletes and as a team with an average score across golfers to place for medals.
“I think the group of guys this year has been really good. We want to play well for each other, it's one last year together . . . I think I’ve had good groups in my tournaments which has helped me stay where I need to be to perform. To get a bad group can really ruin your round, so I think I’ve been lucky,” said Dessureault.
I think the group of guys this year has been really good. We want to play well for each other, it's one last year together . . . I think I’ve had good groups in my tournaments which has helped me stay where I need to be to perform. To get a bad group can really ruin your round, so I think I’ve been lucky.
Nicolas Dessureault, golf player
With great golfers, including Matthew Martel, Micheal Guyatt and Jack Dool, also on the team, Dessureault wants to perform for both himself and his team this year. He also hopes to inspire younger golfers on the roster to try their hardest and learn the significance of working as a team within the sport of golf.
He also hopes to inspire younger golfers on the roster to try their hardest and learn the significance of working as a team within the sport of golf.
“I think team golf is different from individual . . . When you have a team, every shot really matters a lot more . . . That's what I tell the freshman is even if you have a bad round, the current shot could really matter,” said Dessureault.
