After a breakthrough summer and fall season, Miles Green becomes the first Marauder to be chosen in round one of the Canadian Premier League’s U Sports draft
The Marauder men’s soccer team had a season like no other this past fall. The team clinched their first OUA title since 2012 and the season saw numerous players step up in big ways. One of the players to do so was fifth year striker, Miles Green.
Green’s ability to score helped his team on numerous occasions. He scored a total of six goals over a ten-game regular season and added two more to his tally in the postseason. He was also able to add three assists to his statistics.
The team’s striker is no stranger to making an impact on games. During Green’s summer season, playing in Ontario’s semi-pro League 1, the striker was able to score 23 goals in just 20 games.
His composure in front of goal, as well as various other attributes caught the eye of many, including coaches at the professional level. These aspects of his game also gave Green his first feature on the Ontario University Athletics all-star team.
“I think the first thing that got Forge interested in me was my scoring numbers but I think they also saw my versatility and creativity because I can play more than one position. I think it's something they liked,” said Green.
“I think the first thing that got Forge interested in me was my scoring numbers but I think they also saw my versatility and creativity because I can play more than one position. I think it's something they liked.”
Miles Green
It was at this year’s Canadian Premier League U Sports draft that Green was selected to attend the training camp of Hamilton’s professional soccer team, Forge Football Club. This gives Green the possibility of earning a roster spot on the team.
A spot is not guaranteed for Green though. For each CPL team, there are only 23 roster spots.
Green’s ability to play multiple positions on a forward line, hold the ball up, take defenders on the dribble and, most notably, score will put Green in great standing to earn himself a spot. As a player who hasn’t been in a major spotlight before this previous year, Green’s quick rise is noteworthy.
“I had a lot of ups and downs throughout my years at [McMaster University] and it showed me things don’t need to be linear. Progression in both sports and life don’t need to be linear. It’s something I think we all need to give an understanding to,” explained Green.
His rise has caught the attention of many and has helped to bring fans out to Marauders soccer games. The men’s side had a high of 425 fans in their OUA semi-final match, in which Green scored twice.
The CPL season begins in early April, meaning training camp is soon beginning. He hopes to make the team and grow from there, all while having pride in what he’s accomplished at McMaster University.
“Winning OUA was a dream. I’ve wanted to win it before I came to Mac. I’m excited for what this will all do for the McMaster and Hamilton soccer programs,” said Green.
"Winning OUA was a dream, I’ve wanted to win it before I came to Mac. I’m excited for what this will all do for the McMaster and Hamilton soccer programs."
Miles Green
The impressive feat that Green has accomplished will have great impacts for the McMaster men's soccer program as a whole. Though he may not return back to McMaster soccer next season, his name and accomplishments will be well known throughout the Hamilton community for a long time.
McMaster student Mariam Kourabi has created a growing YouTube channel over the past six months to provide a presence of conversation regarding women’s soccer
Mariam Kourabi, a McMaster University student with a passion in the world of soccer, decided to make use of her knowledge in women’s soccer to create a unique YouTube channel: SHE scores bangers. This channel is dedicated to fostering important discussions about women’s soccer around the world.
“My YouTube channel is essentially all about women’s soccer. It is a project that I launched earlier this summer and so far, it’s been successful. I tend to cover different aspects of women’s soccer, such as the World Cup, major leagues, analysis, injuries among other things,” said Kourabi.
Although the channel is relatively new, Kourabi impresses with her consistent content creation. On the channel’s Twitter page, she keeps up her followers with daily updates on different situations within the soccer world, whether it's through text or media. Her video content is posted on a weekly basis and she has achieved 28,000 views in six months.
“My general goal is to post one to two videos a week onto the YouTube channel. This way, I can provide my audience with more content that they can follow on a weekly basis. Not only that, but I also post daily updates on the channel’s Twitter account. Do I find that sometimes school gets in the way? Of course, during midterm or finals season, I tend to post less but I still want to keep up with providing consistent content. Sometimes when I know that I have a midterm that is coming up next week, I would record extra videos over the weekend so that I have more time to focus on my studies whilst still posting content,” explained Kourabi.
Women’s soccer does not get as much publicity as men’s, evidenced by media coverage over the years, among other aspects such as ticket sales and TV viewership. This has produced a sense of inequality that is visible to all, with most YouTube channels and other media outlets covering mainly men’s soccer, whether it’s the World Cup or the Champions League. Kourabi aims to create more equality thorough conversations regarding women’s soccer, and by creating a presence of attention towards it.
“Generally speaking, there is a lack of conversation when it comes to women’s soccer. Therefore, I created the channel, I want to create more ambition and give more presence to the conversation about the subject and keep it relevant. Over time, I’m hoping that more people will gain interest in the channel, and the message would spread that women’s soccer deserves as much attention as men’s [soccer]. For now, I feel that I am progressing well with the channel and hope that it continues that way,” said Kourabi.
Over time, I’m hoping that more people will gain interest in the channel, and the message would spread that women’s soccer deserves as much attention as men’s [soccer]. For now, I feel that I am progressing well with the channel and hope that it continues that way.
Mariam Kourabi, FOUNDER Of SHE scores bangers
It’s not every day you hear about a student creating a successful YouTube channel that focuses on bringing in an important conversation into the sporting world, but Kourabi defies this expectation. With her stellar rise in popularity over the past few months, her channel is showing great potential and we can expect many more things from SHE scores bangers in the future.
After more than four years, the world's largest tournament is back on the main stage, and McMaster had multiple venues hosting watch parties that you can tune into
It’s been over four years since the last world cup in Russia, held in the summer of 2018. Since then, there have been many fans who have been awaiting the return of this event and finally the time has come. A world cup during winter. Over the course of the month, soccer fans at McMaster University had and will have the opportunity to tune into numerous events and watch parties that will be occurring throughout the course of the event.
While it has already passed, the “World Cup with the Dean” event had been organized for Nov. 23, where students had the opportunity to join the dean of DeGroote School of Business to watch the opening Canada game against Belgium. The rare opportunity features complimentary food and snacks for the attendees.
Another source for watch parties occurring around campus is the OSCARplus website, which has been helpful for students all the way through. On the website, students will be able to find over a dozen watch parties that are offered by International Student Services and for the time being are only showing the group stage games, with a view of expanding during the play-off stages. Although no prior registration is required for each game, it is a first-come first-serve basis for all students, with most of the games being broadcasted in the Student Centre (MUSC B118).
A third opportunity for soccer fans at McMaster to tune into the World Cup comes via the McMaster Sports Community, a regular watch party host at the school. The club intends to hold their final World Cup watch party on Dec. 2 at 2:00 p.m., viewing the Serbia vs Switzerland affair. Food and drinks will be provided to attendees free of charge, and the event will be held in Burke Science Building, room 115.
There is no doubt that there are soccer fans among the student population that will be tuning into this year's biggest sports event, and although it is the first world cup ever being hosted in the winter, it opens the opportunity for McMaster to offer as many student-led events for the matches as possible.
After a successful OUA campaign, the men’s soccer team took their game to the U Sports national tournament
After successfully defeating Toronto Metropolitan University in the Ontario University Athletic championship game, the Marauder men’s team looked to continue their impressive win streak at the U Sports national tournament. This year’s tournament was hosted in Kamloops, B.C., where the team would face both freezing weather and higher level opponents.
The OUA finals win was already an impressive feat by the Marauders as coming into the offseason, they were not the favourites to make it to the finals.
“The OUA conference is the toughest in the country for soccer and no one really gave us a chance, especially under the circumstances,” said head coach Chris Markou.
Through defeating the Guelph Gryphons, Nippising Lakers and TMU, the team did the seemingly impossible. They subsequently put themselves in a spot to take on the Thompson River Wolfpack, the hosts of this year’s U Sports National Championship.
Facing sub-zero temperatures, the Marauders would have to face two major obstacles. The first being the new weather, which TRU would be better accustomed to. They would also face an opponent who had much older players, bringing more experience.
“We had the youngest team assembled there,” explained Markou.
The first game of the tournament would see the Marauder side lose to TRU in a disappointing fashion. Following a tie at the end of regulation and a scoreless overtime period the team lost in penalty kicks. A missed shot by Justin Woods caused the team to fall to the Wolfpack team, finishing with a 5-4 score in penalty kicks.
Though the team put on an impressive display overall. The game finished 1-1 with a spectacular free kick goal hitting the back of the net by Miles Green. Other notable performances were put on by Ahmad Mansour, Sam Richardson and Justin Wood.
The Wolfpack ended up building on this early momentum, later matchup against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the final. TRU would go on to win this game by a score of 2-1, taking home the national championship on their home turf. The Marauders on the other hand would head into the consolation bracket as a result of their first-round loss.
The Marauders played the following day against the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes. After a grueling 120 minutes of soccer the day prior, the team was unable to stand up against UQTR.
“We had just played 120 minutes against the host school and then we were back on the pitch for Friday on a quick 16 hour game turnaround for UQTR at 1:30 PM. There is little to no recovery time and we had a few players that physically couldn't carry on the Friday. To be able to mentally pick yourself up from such a close loss to play a consolation match the next day is such a challenge for any athlete,” said Markou.
After a red card was given to centre back Ahmad Mansour, the team lost control of the game. The final score was 5-0, seeing UQTR win and thus, having the opportunity to play a third game to challenge for the fifth place spot in the tournament.
Two disappointing results for the Marauders saw them exit the tournament early. But for such a young team the experience is invaluable.
“U Sport Soccer Championships was a fantastic learning experience for not only the players but for myself and my coaching staff,” said Markou.
Their last game against UQTR marks the end of the team’s season. As a team with a new head coach, and 11 new athletes joining the Marauders, the team will hope to continue their upward growth from here.
In a tense faceoff against Toronto Metropolitan University, McMaster won by one goal to be crowned champions
The final game of the Ontario University Athletics season saw the McMaster men’s soccer team take on Toronto Metropolitan University. In Saturday night's game at Downsview Park, the team looked to win it all.
Toronto Metropolitan looked to be a menacing side. Their team contained four OUA All Stars, with two players earning first team honors, and two winning second team honors. The team finished in identical place with McMaster, finishing the regular season in second place in OUA East Division.
McMaster had four of their own players named OUA All Stars. One player was named to the OUA first team, and three players were named to OUA’s second team. With both teams almost equally matched, the game would come down to a very small margin.
The match began with a slow tempo, without either side creating many opportunities. Within just the first half of play, TMU received a red card. The player given a red card was OUA First Team All Star, Luca Di Marco.
Despite the Marauders being up a player, they struggled to capitalize. It was not until the 79th minute of play that McMaster was able to score. A goal by Amir Shirazi gave the game to the Marauders.
McMaster held onto this lead firmly for the remainder of the match. It paved way for their first OUA Championship win since 2012.
Impressively, rookie head coach Chris Markou would take his first ever title while coaching the team. It is quite an accomplishment under any circumstances, never mind in a coaches first season.
This win puts the Marauders into fourth seed in the U Sport National Championship, hosted in Kamloops, B.C. The team will look to challenge for this years National title, with their first game against the host, Thompson Rivers University.
McMaster women's soccer season ended on a high as the men's team continues through to the OUA finals
The regular season for both McMaster University’s women’s and men’s teams came to a successful close earlier this month. Both teams have earned themselves a playoff spot, with the women’s team finishing fourth and the men’s team finishing second in their respective divisions.
In their first round matchup the women took on the Brock Badgers. After failing to reach the playoffs in the season prior, the team was looking to make greater strides this time around.
On Wednesday night, the Marauders did just that. Within just 30 seconds, Bryanna Caldwell found the back of the net. The top goal scorer made good on a corner sent in from Ignacia Jimenez.
With the wind in her sails and a loud home crowd spurring the team on, Caldwell managed to score an almost identical goal. Another corner by Jimenez found the head of Caldwell, making the score two to zero.
“Ignacia puts the ball in the box and I know where it's going to land every time. It’s a connection only we have. Practice makes perfect,” says Caldwell.
“Ignacia puts the ball in the box and I know where it's going to land every time. It’s a connection only we have. Practice makes perfect.”
Bryanna Caldwell, Women's Soccer Team
The Badgers managed to put one in, but McMaster responded with a goal of their own by Tiam Pourbakhtiari. Brock put in one more goal just before the end of the game, bringing the game to a final score of three to two.
The women’s team went on to the quarterfinals to take on the Western Mustangs. In a disappointing game though, the team lost five to zero, effectively ending their playoff run.
While the team did not advance further, they are still looking to grow in the seasons to come. Having made it further than they had last year, it seems their game can only improve.
“With every season and game we’ve played, we’ve improved. This series of games is just a step in our path in growing as a team.” says Caldwell.
As the men’s team finished in second place, they were given a bye week. Resultantly, the bye week automatically placed the team in a quarterfinal spot, where they would take on the Guelph Gryphons.
The last time these teams met, the Marauders lost by two goals. This time however, the advantage was to the Marauders as Guelph was not awarded a bye week. The Gryphons took on the Brock Badgers just three days prior in a game that took the teams to double overtime and penalty kicks.
The Marauders won two to one against the Gryphons. Goals by Amir Shirazi and Miles Green brought the team over the Gryphons and into the OUA semi finals.
Facing the Nipissing Lakers in the semi final round, the two teams met on a very foggy night at Ron Joyce Stadium. It was the furthest most members on the team had ever gotten, so the feeling of anxiety was high for many in what turned out to be a really slow start.
“Many of us have not been in this position before, so maybe the nerves got to us,” explained Bryan Florent.
This was apparent as the game at half was tied with neither team having scored. Fortunately, the Marauders turned this around, coming out of the break on a game changing streak.
“The first half was very much a stalemate with attacks coming from both sides. In the second half, we had a change in mentality. We realized there's a difference between playing fast and playing rushed. We played rushed, which didn’t allow us to create opportunities,” said Florent.
"We realized there's a difference between playing fast and playing rushed. We played rushed, which didn’t allow us to create opportunities."
Bryan Florent, Men's Soccer Team
The team came out with a resounding win, with Green putting away two with assists from Sean Ross and Shirazi and Ed Bryan Florent putting away one on the assist from Justin Baker. This win qualified the team for Nationals and secured them a spot in the OUA Finals. They will now take on Toronto Metropolitan University in a challenge for the OUA Championship on Nov. 5.
It’s been an astonishing season on both sides, with head coach Miranda Wiley and rookie head coach Chris Markou leading their teams to new levels. With the roads paved by the current teams, the future of McMaster soccer looks bright.
As the play-offs approach, the Marauders look back on a brilliant regular season
Last season the men's soccer team made reasonable progress throughout the regular season, with an overall record of 6-3-2, earning them a place in the playoffs. Unfortunately, this euphoria was short lived, and the Marauders came out crashing in the first round, where they lost against Carleton Ravens three to one. This year they’re looking for more.
The team had a very successful regular season this time around, finishing with a very impressive 8-3-1 record and earning them second place spot in the OUA Central Division, just behind Toronto Metropolitan University.
“I think that the regular season was very good. We ended up finishing second place in our division, which is the best place Mac has finished in the past ten years. So, of course we were very happy about it as a team,” said Justin Baker, a second year life sciences student playing as a midfielder for the Marauders.
“I think that the regular season was very good. We ended up finishing second place in our division, which is the best place Mac has finished in the past ten years. So, of course we were very happy about it as a team.”
Justin Baker, Midfielder on the Men's Soccer Team
The team entered the playoffs on a high note, but they have a difficult road ahead. The first matchup for them will be the Guelph Gryphons.
“There’s a lot of momentum going into the playoffs this season, we have our first game against Guelph in the quarterfinals which should be a great game. What motivates us even more is that we lost against them in regular season, so we want some revenge,” explained Baker.
Another aspect that shapes up any team is the chemistry and the atmosphere that gets built up in the squad over time. Prior to the playoffs, it’s key that the group is in good spirits, as the pressure can only build from game to game in the final stages of the championship.
“We are all feeling good on the team. We have been putting a lot of energy into training just for the preparations against Guelph. We are all very confident in our abilities and confident that we can get the result we need against them. It would motivate us even more if we beat them on Saturday,” said Baker.
Baker also transfered from Simon Fraser University, Canada’s only NCAA affiliated soccer team. He is one of the players that debuted for McMaster this year. According to his McMaster Athletics profile, he achieved a total of 250 minutes over nine games for the Marauders, proving that his potential is not to be overlooked. In the last game of the season against Laurier, he even scored the game winning goal, securing the Marauders four to one victory.
“Over the course of this season I played quite well. I drifted between playing in a center mid to a winger position, as I like playing both positions. It’s been good getting chemistry with the team through playing consistently, which is something great for my first year here,” explained Baker.
Being a newer member of the team, it took some time for Baker to adjust to the style of play, something even the most experienced players experience to some extent. As the season progressed, he began to embrace a larger role with the team, quickly adjusting and becoming more comfortable, leading to his late season success.
“Although I didn’t start off playing every game, near the end of the season I integrated myself more with the team, which helped me gain more confidence. To end the regular season, I scored a goal against Laurier which felt amazing,” said Baker.
“Although I didn’t start off playing every game, near the end of the season I integrated myself more with the team, which helped me gain more confidence. To end the regular season, I scored a goal against Laurier which felt amazing.”
Justin Baker, Men's Soccer Team
Although they have been here before, the Marauders certainly feel that there is potential to progress further than the quarter finals in the championship. Their first playoff game is on Sat. Oct. 29, against the Guelph Gryphons at 1:00 PM.
Opening weekend for Marauders soccer complete after their matches against the Western Mustangs
The fall sports season is finally underway! This past weekend both men’s and women’s soccer teams kicked off their scheduled seasons by facing the Western Mustangs.
Both teams hit the road Saturday to meet the Mustangs on their home field. The women’s team kick off was first, taking place on what was one of the hotter days of the year. Third year center back, Bryanna Caldwell, was one of the athletes to play through the heat and she felt the team still did a fantastic job.
“I feel like our strong preseason, which built a positive team environment, helped to create strong team chemistry, in which we play for one another. In addition other fans and students who made the trip all the way out to Western helped to push us through,” said Caldwell.
Making the almost two-hour drive to London McMaster University students Anas Takrouri and Yasir Kosso were among those who came to support the Marauders at the kick off.
“We like to come out and support the team because we know the feeling that comes with having fans come out and support you,” explained Takrouri.
The team pushed through the heat and ended the game tied one to one. The thrilling match saw McMaster come back to level terms with less than 10 minutes left in the match. The game tying goal came from a header by Caldwell off of Emilie Calbrese’s cross.
Another thrilling match came from the men's team shortly after. However, the McMaster men’s soccer team unfortunately lost their first match of the season under new head coach Chris Markou, losing by a slim two to one margin against the Mustangs.
The weekends second day of play came with much cooler weather for both teams to compete in. The women’s team kicked off again first against a Western side irate from the match before.
Caldwell recalled the physicality of the match and the intensity in which the game was played. Both the Marauders and the Mustangs desperately wanted to walk away victorious after they walked away from the first match tied.
“We were fighting against another team who wanted the win just as badly as we did. Each player on Mac worked hard to win their one-on-one battles. Even with a couple of injuries, we pushed through,” said Caldwell.
“We were fighting against another team who wanted the win just as badly as we did. Each player on Mac worked hard to win their one-on-one battles. Even with a couple of injuries, we pushed through,”
Bryanna Caldwell, Third year center back
The game ended up going to the Mustangs, with the Marauders losing by one goal.
Just after the women’s match, the men’s team lined up to take on their contempories and eager to gain points. They ended the game with a one to nothing win via a goal by Miles Green. This marked the first win for McMaster under their new head coach.
“The pride of playing at home pushed us to get a win. We wanted to set a tone and bring energy to the home field and for the fans,” said Bryan Florent a member of the men’s team.
The fan’s made themselves heard, cheering on the Marauders until the end of each game. A new outpour of support from the crowd has had an immense impact on the players.
“The fans are like a 12th man on the pitch. It gets us going and fired up. A round of applause after a tackle, a goal or a shot, it gives us good energy,” explained Florent.
With a rigorous schedule ahead, the support of fans will hopefully continue to help push both teams ahead.
C/O Yoohyun Park
It’s been quite the season so far, but which McMaster sports team impressed the most?
What a year it has been in the Marauders return to sport! After a long period of inactivity, in September the Marauders got back on track with their varsity schedules when most of the teams finally resumed their competitive runs. This season, McMaster students were lucky to see many teams perform well on the big stages, such as the Ontario University Athletics championships and even out of province competition to test their abilities.
As the end of the school year approaches, it seemed appropriate to look back and determine which teams impressed our community the most. The following rankings are based on how far teams made it through the OUAs or any other championship and the competition that they had to face before achieving their spot. Without further ado, let’s look through the Sil’s five most impressive varsity performances of the season, counting down from five.
5. Men's and women’s wrestling
It’s safe to say that this season has been very successful for both the men's and the women's wrestling teams. Last November the teams competed at a tournament hosted in Hamilton, where they collected a total of six medals — three silvers and three golds.
Their success did not stop there. Just over a month ago, both of the teams competed at the Brock open, where they took on some of the best teams in Ontario. The event proved to be a very successful one for our wrestlers. The men’s team came out as champions and the women’s team placed third. Additionally, Francesco Fortino, a player on the men’s wrestling team won the Marauder of the Week accolade.
The grind doesn't stop there for the wrestling teams. Their next challenge will be on April 2, when they will take part in the OUA championships in St. Catherines.
4. Women's basketball
This season the women’s basketball team really made a name for itself in the OUAs. Despite having won the national title just two years prior, the team was widely viewed as being in a transition year due to so many early year players. Despite knowing that the competition was going to be rough and that it was going to take a lot of work for such a young team to make it to the OUA playoffs, they made it happen.
Although there were ups and downs along the way, the team showed a lot of character in all of their games, managing to finish with a record of 10-7. When they started the OUA playoffs, they swept the Waterloo Warriors 63-45, which guaranteed them a quarterfinal spot. Unfortunately, their luck ran out in the quarters, where the Brock Badgers just narrowly came on top with 49-45.
Overall, it was a season full of character for the Marauders, which is something which they wish to build on for next season after their exciting first year back.
Overall, it was a season full of character for the Marauders, which is something which they wish to build on for next season after their exciting first year back.
3. Men’s soccer
The men’s soccer team started playing their competitions in September and finished off near the middle of the first semester. Although it has been a while since we got to see the players in maroon, we can’t forget their astonishing run throughout. During their season, they played eleven games, of which six were wins and only two were losses.
Much of the effort it took to make it that far came from their star striker, Dusan Kovacevic. The OUA athlete of the week accounted for just over 30% of the team’s goals. Furthermore, Kovacevic scored four times in a game against the Algoma Thunderbirds, which ended 7-0 for the Marauders.
Although the team did make it to the quarterfinals of the OUA championships, they unfortunately fell 3-1 to the Carleton Ravens, which ended their eventful season.
2. Men’s basketball
The men’s basketball team has been very impressive this season. They consistently achieved good results and were even on a five-win streak in the OUA season.
The men’s basketball team has been very impressive this season. They consistently achieved good results and were even on a five-win streak in the OUA season.
Throughout the season, they won 12 out of the possible 18 games, which took them to the OUA championship knock-out stages. It wasn’t going to be easy, but the Marauders started strongly with their 12-point win against the Lakehead Timberwolves, thus guaranteeing them a spot in the semis. Unfortunately, that is where their journey ended as they were knocked out by the Badgers, 75-88. Regardless, the fantastic performance of the men’s basketball team this season deserves to be recognized near the top of this list.
1. Men’s volleyball team
Where do we start? The men’s volleyball team has been inspiring to watch, to say the least. They have fought their way through the OUA championships with ease, winning the title and making sure that they were the team to be feared, even far away from home.
They have fought their way through the OUA championships with ease, winning the title and making sure that they were the team to be feared, even far away from home.
The men’s volleyball team played 18 games between the regular season, the OUA playoffs and the national playoffs. Of these games, they won 17. In their first 12 games of the season in the group stages of the OUA, they did not lose a single game. Furthermore, the Marauders went on to glide through the OUA knockout stages against teams like the Windsor Lancers, the Brock Badgers and the Toronto Varsity Blues. The latter was the opponent the Marauders played against in the finals, where they clinched their first OUA title in three seasons.
Things didn't end there for the team, as they went on to play in the U Sports championships in Winnipeg. Although the team did not start well, losing to the University of Calgary, they bounced back and achieved fifth in all of Canada, winning against Queens Gaels and the Manitoba Bisons in the consolation play-offs.
C/O McMaster Sports
As the men's soccer team wraps up their season, there’s plenty to look forward to.
After a very exciting season, the men's soccer team has a lot to look forward to. Following a long COVID-19 break that lasted a year and a half, the Marauders managed to qualify for the Ontario University Athletics playoffs, which ended in an unfortunate loss against the Carleton Ravens, the defending champions.
Not only did the Marauders achieve strong results in the regular season, but three members of the squad would win national awards at the annual All-Canadian Gala, which are presented to the best players from around the league.
Kovacevic would be named the OUA Central Player of The Year and an OUA Central All-Star alongside his teammate Cheikh Tchouambou Youmbi who was also named an All-Star and the OUA Central Community Award Winner. Mohamed Al-Shakman would bring home the OUA Central Rookie of The Year award and coach Dino Perri would receive the OUA Central Coach of The Year award to complete a very successful gala.
Over the course of the season the Marauders had won six, drawn two and lost three games. The wins came against Algoma Thunderbirds, Laurentian Voyageurs, UofT Blues and Nipissing Lakers while the two losses came against Ryerson Rams and the Voyageurs (in their second game).
Of the 33 goals that the Marauders scored during the regular season, a whopping 13 were from the striker Dusan Kovacevic. The immaculate teamwork from the Marauders throughout the season netted various awards for their players from the OUA this season, including Kovacevic winning the OUA player of the month award for his impressive goal scoring run.
However, the run does not end there. While the Marauders may have finished their season with a disappointing defeat to the reigning champions, there is still a lot more to play for over the next couple of seasons.
Alexandre Boue, a fourth-year varsity soccer player, shared his thoughts on the season and how everyone on the team felt about the results.
“Generally speaking, there's a lot of mixed emotions among the team right now. Throughout the regular season we were in such a good position and have hoped that we would make it far into the playoffs. We played really well against big teams such as U of T and have shown a lot of character throughout,” said Boue.
However, Boue did express his disappointment at not making it past the quarter finals of the OUA playoffs, in which the Marauders fell to the Carleton Ravens three to one.
“Typically, you’d expect us to make it really far. We as a team were delighted to make it to the play-offs but we were really unfortunate with the opponent we got in the very first game. The ravens are defending champions and we knew that the matchup against them would be very difficult. It was a shame because the regular season went really well for us and I know that we deserved more than just the quarter finals,” explained Boue.
Although Boue did show his dissatisfaction with the early exit, he did express that the Marauders have done so much to build the high standards among the team.
“This dissatisfaction does show that the whole program has worked. It does show you that the sports department here at Mac put a lot of effort into the soccer team, which is represented through the results over the years. They really have made the Marauders a solid name in Ontario soccer and that’s why we have such high expectations every season,” said Boue.
When asked about the potential for the upcoming season, Boue said that he was confident that the team will come back even stronger.
“The current team that we have is extremely strong. We’ve got a few OUA all stars which just shows how good we are quality wise. However, many of them had their last eligible year this season, so they won’t be able to play again. Although many are not going to continue, I am very confident that the new players that come our way will help us do better than this season.” said Boue.
Although McMaster failed to make it to nationals this year, there is still hope that the Marauders will challenge for the title next year. This season not only featured numerous all stars on the team, but also made it evident that there was an atmosphere and culture that grew with the team in every game.
