After only winning two games in the previous season, the McMaster fast pitch team believes they have revamped and have the depth to compete with the best

Coming into this season, the McMaster women’s fast pitch team hopes to improve upon its previous season of loses and near misses.. The team was only able to pick up two wins in the 2023 season, with multiple of their losses coming down to just a one point difference.

To achieve an overall better record throughout this year's season, the team has expanded its roster from 17 players in the previous year to 25 players in the current season. Shannon Critchlow, the second year team captain, elaborated on why this was done.

“This year we decided to take more players because there were a lot of injuries last year, and people with injuries were playing which is not fantastic. But now we have a really big team which is nice, we can train those people. And we only have one graduating this year, so we’re a fresh team with a new start,” said Critchlow.

This year we decided to take more players because there were a lot of injuries last year, and people with injuries were playing which is not fantastic. But now we have a really big team which is nice, we can train those people. And we only have one graduating this year, so we’re a fresh team with a new start.

Shannon Critchlow, team captain, Marauder's fast pitch.

This is in an effort to maintain the health of their players and ensure that those with injuries can rest when needed as well as to create depth and diversity in the team. The fast pitch season is one that can be seen as grueling , with games being played in a back to back fashion meaning games occur right after one another, often with many games in one weekend. 

This could be seen in the Marauders' opening weekend game, as the team played in back to back games against York University on Sep. 7. The team’s two opening games resulted in losses for the Marauders, but the team gained vital takeaways to consider for their future games this season.

“I believe the first score was six to two [against York] and the second one was also very close. They were winning ten to three at the beginning, but we came back and we lost 11 to eight. This was with two different rosters, so it shows that both rosters are equally strong, and very well rounded,” said Critchlow.

I believe the first score was six to two (against York) and the second one was also very close. They were winning ten to three at the beginning, but we came back and we lost 11 to eight. This was with two different rosters, so it shows that both rosters are equally strong, and very well rounded.

Shannon Critchlow, team captain, Marauder's fast pitch.

On Sep. 8, the Marauders took on Queen's University. With numerous players able to share playing time in the day prior, the Marauders came into their second game day ready to play hard. 

“We wanted to use the first couple of games to see what we needed to work on as a team. Which I think we did well because we came out strong against Queen’s the next day,” said Critchlow. 

The team was able to pick up two wins in two games. Their first matchup against the Gaels saw the Marauders come away with a four to three win, while the second game ended with a score of six to four in favour of the Marauders. 

As the Marauders progress into the season, the intensity of games and will pick up. They will face the University of Waterloo's Warriors, the Guelph Gryphons and Wilfrid Laurier's Golden Hawks in a three day time span, for which their large roster will be needed.

“Next weekend we have six games, we’re going to be playing Waterloo, Laurier and Guelph. So it will be a lot of traveling with a lot of games,” said Critchlow.

Soon the season will be winding down for the Marauder’s fast pitch team, as they will finish their regular season on Sep. 29. Stay tuned for the results of the coming games.

C/O Cooper Gary

Often overlooked despite being Canada’s national sport, the McMaster lacrosse team deserves more attention 

For those not already aware, the national sport of Canada is lacrosse. Despite that, there really isn’t much hype around the sport when it comes to varsity athletics within Canadian universities. Although the men’s lacrosse team is a member of the Ontario University Athletics, they don’t get nearly as much recognition as other sports such as football, soccer and basketball.  

With very little exposure for the team, it only felt appropriate to analyze the success and the dynamics of the men’s lacrosse team and figure out how this team fits in at McMaster. 

“We’ve basically got three practices a week even during the off season, with each being two hours long. During the actual season, we had one to two games a week and there was a lot going on during that time,” said Ryan Smith, a member of the men’s team. 

The most notable game for the team was against Laurier, when the Marauders were trailing 1-7, but ended the game with a score of 9-8, which marked an incredible comeback. This seemed to be one of the most impressive and more memorable games of the year. 

“For being a first-year goalie on the team, I am pretty satisfied with the way we played most of our games. Honestly, we had some great games throughout the season, such as the comeback against Laurier. For the team we had and the experience some players had, I think that we were pretty good all around,”

Ryan Smith

The team managed to make it to the playoffs this season, but unfortunately was eliminated in their first-round matchup against the Brock Badgers.  

“While we did qualify for the playoffs, losing in the first round to Brock was very unfortunate. I think that we have to focus on coming out stronger and harder, as in some games we would get down early and would have to fight our way back into the game,” said Smith.  

It’s evident that although this season was not bad for the lacrosse team, they would be eager to get back even stronger next year. They understand what they are capable of and are looking forward to the next opportunity to get back into competition. 

“For the next season I think we will do a lot better as our team was pretty young and we had a lot of players who have never played lacrosse in their life prior to this. We also now know each other much better and have gained more chemistry with one another, as we know the play style each person possesses. We have done a lot of team bonding over time, such as riding on the bus together before the game, team parties or even going to a bar to celebrate a team's birthday. Our coach, Jason Tellevi, is fantastic at bringing us closer together and has helped us improve a lot over the past season,” explained Smith. 

During the off season many athletes tend to practice or play scrimmages to keep in shape. The drill is no different with the lacrosse team, who continues their rigorous training methods throughout.  

“During the off season, which would be from early [in the year] until August 2022, I know a lot of boys on the team also play junior lacrosse for clubs. Those clubs are on from April until July, which ensures that you are staying in shape and in form as the stick is always in your hands and always playing and moving. We also have group workout sessions running from time to time. They’re great as everyone can push each other to do more and can see the progress individuals are making which will benefit our team in the long run,” said Smith. 

Although the lacrosse team is perhaps not the most recognized in university athletics, the team practices and has the same scheduling as every other varsity team at McMaster. Their hard work and determination in the off season may get them an even better season next year, for which the whole squad will be even more experienced.