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.
New leadership for the Marauders as Tristan Joyce takes over as interim head coach for the 2023-2024 season
On Feb. 7, McMaster University announced that assistant coach and former Marauders goalkeeper Tristan Joyce would be named the new interim head coach for the men’s soccer program. Chris Markou, who was the team’s interim head coach this past season, will not return to the staff next year as the team continues to search for a permanent replacement.
A former player and inductee into the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame, Markou entered the position of interim head coach in May 2022 after previously serving in an assistant role. Replacing long-time head coach Dino Perri, Markou was originally viewed as a candidate to permanently take over the team after the 2022-2023 campaign.
A former player and inductee into the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame, Markou entered the position of interim head coach in May 2022 after previously serving in an assistant role. Replacing long-time head coach Dino Perri, Markou was originally viewed as a candidate to permanently take over the team after the 2022-2023 campaign.
"Chris is a McMaster Soccer legend who exemplifies Marauder values and has the leadership, empathy and technical knowhow to lead through this transition. . . We are excited to include him in the national search for a permanent head coach that will commence immediately after the 2022 season,” said Keenan Jeppesen, associate director of High Performance, in a statement on Markou’s hiring released on the Marauders website on May 5, 2022.
This past season, Markou helped to steer the men’s team to their first provincial championship title since 2012 following a one to nothing victory over the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold on Nov. 5, 2022. With a record of eight wins, three losses and one tie, Markou brought the Marauders to second overall in the western Ontario University Athletics conference.
Following their victory at the OUAs, the Marauders suffered a tough shootout loss to the eventual champion Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack at the U Sports quarterfinals in Kamloops, British Columbia on Nov. 10, 2022. The team’s season concluded after dropping their consolation semifinal five to nothing against the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes.
“With a lot of the veterans graduating from previous year, new coaching staff getting shuffled in, I think [Markou] did everything he needed to do and you got to give a lot of credit to the guy for being able to come in in his first year as a U Sports coach and win [the OUAs] overall,” said Ahmed Mansour, team captain.
Since his departure in February, Markou has taken on a new position as the director of operations and community engagement for the Ancaster Legacy Football Club and their high performance program. Markou is also the owner and acting program director for Futbol Plus, a performance and developmental program in Hamilton for soccer players aged 10 to16.
When the Silhouette reached out to Markou for an interview, he declined to comment.
Filling in Markou’s vacancy, Joyce steps into the position just two years removed from his time as goalkeeper on the men’s roster. Joyce played as goalkeeper for four years with the team, being named an OUA Central Division all-star for the Marauders in 2021, where he recorded three shutouts and a save percentage of 73.5 per cent that season.
Joyce returned to the team for the 2022-2023 season as a goalkeeping coach in Markou’s staff, gaining his lone season of university coaching experience.
"The belief that last year was a one-off just can’t be instilled in people’s minds. Last year was an amazing championship and we want to do it again,” said Joyce.
The belief that last year was a one-off just can’t be instilled in people’s minds. Last year was an amazing championship and we want to do it again
Tristan Joyce, interim head coach, Marauders men's soccer
Joyce will be looking to repeat this past season’s success and help the team defend their provincial title under his leadership once they return in the fall.
By: Sasha Ricciuti
When I started playing on the McMaster men’s soccer team, I did not realize how much I was about to learn over the next five years. To play on a team that exemplified what it means to be a hardworking and successful student-athlete transformed me into the best possible version of myself going into my graduating year.
The things I have learned on and off the field will stick with me forever. These are just a few of the life lessons I’ve taken away from my time as a Marauder.
If there is one thing I can say I underestimated going into my first year on the team, it was the importance of being accountable. Coaches Dino Perri, Joe Valvasori and Anthony Costa immediately taught me what it meant to be accountable, not only for my actions on the field but off the field as well. As student-athletes, we are representing the entire university every time we compete, wherever we travel. Thanks to them, I will never forget the importance of being the best version of myself at all times, no matter if somebody is watching.
Not many people truly understand the time commitment that it takes to be a student-athlete. I quickly learned how committed I had to be in the summer before my first year during the pre-season. Transitioning into the school year, we began practicing five times a week and playing in two games. We also had strength and conditioning training and weekly film sessions through November. This is not always easy as you have to learn to balance school work and having a social life. But irreplaceable moments like playing in a national final in my second year would not have been possible if it was not for those sacrifices.
Having the captaincy my last year, I quickly learned that it is much more than wearing the armband on the field. Having had the chance to play under coach Costa, who is a former Marauder, showed me what it really meant to be good leader. So when it was my turn to lead, I tried my best to model his leadership style. From team talks to handling the laundry to getting to know each rookie on a personal level, being a captain was one of the most important things I have done in my life and a skill I know I will use in the future.
From my first year to my fifth year, the bonds I have made with everyone, from former players to my current teammates, are invaluable to me. As cliché as it sounds, I realized there is truly no “I” in team. We have seen each other at the best of times and the worst, and these friendships will hopefully last a lifetime. Being a Marauder is more than just the play on the field – we are one big family.
The best team memory I have had would most likely be our playoff run in 2014 when we won a national silver medal, which has only been done once before in the program’s history. We finished second in the Ontario University Athletics West that year, and played Western in a grueling quarterfinal matchup where we won 1-0. We would then host the OUA Final Four that year, beating Ryerson in the semifinals in a penalty shoot-out that booked our ticket to nationals in Prince Edward Island. We would go on to win the national quarterfinal and semifinal in penalty shootouts, and play in the national final. Though we fell short losing 1-0 to York in the final, the perseverance we showed that year was outstanding and showed me from an early stage what it meant to be a Marauder.
Another one of my most memorable moments would be scoring a hat trick against Guelph this year. During my five years at Mac, I have beaten every single team I have played against in our division – except for Guelph, who also knocked us out of the playoffs last year. I have also scored against every single team in my five years in our division – except for Guelph. Playing them at home for the first time this season, we would not only beat Guelph for the first time since 2012, but I was also able to score a hat trick in a 4-2 victory. We would also go on to beat Guelph two more times, 2-1 in Guelph and then 1-0 in the Ontario quarterfinal playoffs. That feeling of running down the field after the third goal was surreal, and was easily one of the most memorable moments of my life.
So to anyone reading this, whether you are a rookie just starting your journey or are going into your last year as a Marauder, cherish every moment you have and make the most of every practice, game and playoff run. Learn to be accountable, make sacrifices, show leadership, build friendships and make memories. And by the end of your journey, you too will know what it means to be a Marauder.
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The Marauders were flying high entering their quarterfinal matchup against the reigning Ontario University Athletics champions, the Guelph Gryphons. Mac was administered a tough task against the Gryphons, knowing Guelph had previously won their first round matchup with ease.
Coming off a bye week, the Marauders were well rested and determined to capture the trophy so many other teams sought after. Despite a season with questionable defending, the Marauders were able to slow down the Gryphon offence, keeping them at bay allowing only four shots, en route to their impressive 1-0 win while getting redemption for last year’s early playoff exit. The quarterfinal win sent McMaster to the final four for the first time in three seasons.
On Nov. 3, York University played host to the medal round after finishing first place during the regular season, granting them the pleasure of home field advantage. This weekend saw the final four teams battle head-to-head, all attempting to claim the right to be crowned champions. McMaster was seeded to face an explosive Carleton University, who previously won their quarterfinal matchup 7-0.
“I believe we were all mentally prepared heading into Friday’s game, knowing that if we came out victorious, we would get the opportunity to play in British Columbia for nationals,” said keeper Jesse Di Domenico.
Inevitably, the game began with both teams reluctant to make the first mistake, resulting in a series of long balls and errant passes while the teams tried to feel each other out. The first half saw neither team able to distinguish who was more dominate, making room for an exciting and highly anticipated second half.
Unfortunately for McMaster, the second half was abysmal. The Marauders came out flat, conceding the first goal within the first five minutes of the second half.
Five Marauders were named to the OUA All-Star team. Striker Dusan Kovacevic and midfielder Yunus Mollayev were selected to the First Team. Tony Li, Sasha Ricciuti and Jesse Di Domenico were added to the Second Team.
The opening goal changed the dynamic of the game for the Marauders as they were forced to attack. Unfortunately, this left their defence as a liability, which the Ravens intended on fully exposing. Offence was the issue for the Marauders as the Ravens kept McMaster off the score sheet throughout the entire 90 minutes, securing their 3-0 victory.
“They had a strong attacking line which exposed us on the counter attack,” explained Di Domenico. “We kept up and played well during the first half but we just couldn’t generate any attack, which led to no scoring chances. We lost control of the game in the second half.”
Di Domenico was McMaster’s best player throughout the duration of the match. Despite conceding three goals, he made multiple saves in consecutive fashion helping keep the frustrated Marauders in the game for majority of the match, ultimately stopping 12 of the 15 shots he faced.
With Friday’s game in the past and the bronze medal match on the horizon, the Marauders were looking to sharpen up their attack against the Ryerson Rams. This anti-climatic match had the Marauders stunned within minutes. Down 2-0 less than 20 minutes into the match, McMaster was forced to play catch up once again and come from behind for the second time in two matches.
Disaster struck and frustration finally hit its peak when Yunus Mollayev was sent off with a red card in the 27th minute. Down two goals, and now forced to play with 10 men, the game was all but over entering half time. McMaster had one last surge, directing seven shots on net throughout the course of the second half, unfortunately to no avail. Ryerson added another goal late in the match, solidifying their victory and the bronze medal.
All said and done, McMaster ended the season in fourth place, falling two spots from where they ended the regular season. Despite having a postseason to forget, there were many bright spots on this young McMaster team.
Five players were named to the OUA All-Star list, with two of those players being named to the First Team list. Striker Dusan Kovacevic and midfielder Yunus Mollayev were selected to the First Team, while Tony Li, Sasha Ricciuti and Jesse Di Domenico were added to the Second Team.
The future is bright for this young Marauders team despite finishing without a medal after a strong outing in the regular season. Although the team was unable to meet expectations, the bar has been set for the future and the possibilities are endless.
During a season of many highs and lows, the Marauders showed a great deal of camaraderie in their battle against the odds to win an OUA Championship. Morale must remain high and confidence should not waver, as the McMaster Marauders will continue to strive in the right direction before entering their new season.
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By: Lucas Uggenti
Following a rather unsuccessful 2016 season, the McMaster Marauders men’s soccer team was determined to flip the script and make the 2017 campaign a much more lucrative one.
Facing adversity right from the get-go, the soccer team was going to be without their returning veterans Aleks Vincic, Marco Gennaccaro and Kieran Doyle-Davis. All three had solidified a starting position on last year’s roster and played an important role as the team leaders on and off the pitch. While the loss of the team’s big three left a hole in the roster, this made room for new players to step up and claim the leadership role.
The team forged ahead, leaning heavily on their new fifth-year players, hoping they would be able to fill the void. Having trained together as a team throughout the offseason and improving with every training session, the transitional period came with ease and the integration of a new formation and system suited the players well, leaving team morale high entering the new season.
“Confidence was high, we played as a unit and trusted one another,” said Carlo Difeo, starting right wing back. “We worked a lot harder collectively and it made all the difference.”
The team came out firing on all cylinders, exploding for a 6-0 victory in their first game against Waterloo. A total of nine players registered at least one point in their season opener while keeper Tristan Joyce made five saves en route to the team’s first clean sheet of the season. Following the dominating win against Waterloo, the boys defeated Laurier in defensive fashion, earning yet another clean sheet in a 1-0 victory.
Optimism was as the forefront of emotions for head coach Dino Perri who saw his team start the season off well, dominating their first two games, which was considerably different than last year’s start.
Despite such a strong start to the season, McMaster is challenged with playing in one of the toughest leagues in the country, resulting in a wave of difficult games. The Marauders were beaten in two of their next three games, gaining only three out of a possible nine points.
“We had a lot of ups and downs, starting the season with two opening wins and making a big statement to league,” stated Difeo. “Unfortunately, the losses to York and Western were upsetting, knowing we were the better team. It gave us a reality check, realizing we have to take every game seriously from this point on.”
A reality check was certainly in place, as the Marauders strung together a series of wins in consecutive fashion following the tough loss to York. The Marauders were dealt a tough rebound game playing the defending league champions, the Guelph Gryphons.
The boys defeated last year’s champion with ease, holding a 4-2 lead after the final whistle blew. The game seemed to spark the Marauders as they continued to steam roll ahead, winning their next three contests and claiming points in four of five games.
A big part of the team’s success thus far has been the performance of Sasha Ricciuti, Yunus Mallayev and Chris Luxton. Ricciuiti has been the most productive Marauder this season, tallying a total of seven goals and three assists for a total of 10 points in 14 games played.
“Everything goes through Mallayev,” said Perri. “He’s been great as a player and a good leader on and off the pitch. Ricciuiti and Luxton are fifth-year guys, they know what it takes. Their biggest contribution is passing on their leadership to the young guys on the team.”
The Marauders finished the season on a strong note, rattling off four more wins outscoring their opponents 12-2. The team will finish with three more wins and a total of seven more points than last season. Ending on a high note, the team plans to keep their momentum up heading into the postseason.
“The regular season has been a success thus far, but the real season starts in the playoffs and the standard is nationals,” stated a determined coach Perri. “We’re in the toughest league in Canada, anyone we meet from here on in will be a tough game. As long as we’re prepared and come out to do what were capable of, we’ll be okay.”
McMaster erased any negative notion that this season was going to be a struggle. Coach Perri was able to describe the season in one phrase, stating it was a “learning curve”, adding, “The guys did a great job of adapting and making the season a good one.”
The determined Marauder squad will finish second place in the table with a total of 37 points. They have earned themselves a bye to the quarterfinals, which will take place Oct. 28.
There were some growing pains for this up-and-coming young Marauders team but this year was not robbed of its entertainment. There were no shortages of compelling storylines during this impressive season, leaving expectations high as they enter the playoffs.
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By: Ryan Tse
The McMaster women’s soccer team has not had the smoothest season. This year’s squad has fought their way to a 2-6-5 record to put them in eighth place in the West conference through 13 games. Three pivotal games remain in the 2017 regular season.
Their record tells the story of an up-and-down season filled with adversity. However, new coach Joe Valvasori sees growth and potential in this team. Valvasori believes that the difficulties are largely due to a learning curve for the players as they adjust to new systems.
“I don’t think our record necessarily reflects the quality of the team or the quality of our play of the squad,” Valvasori said. “It’s funny, you know — new coach, new team, new season. We’re putting in a new system and a new style of play so there’s always growing pains that go along with that.”
The team’s victories over fourth-place Waterloo and second-place Guelph perhaps suggest a stronger team than their record shows. They certainly hint at the squad’s talent and their ability to square off with any team. Coach Valvasori sees a lot of strengths in the group that can form the foundation of a successful team.
“We have a very technical midfield who are very much able to play and are still learning how to play through the midfield. We got great speed out on the flanks, and they are trying to learn how to capitalize.”
McMaster currently sits eighth in the West conference of Ontario University Athletics. Coming off an 8-6-2 season and a fifth-place finish last year, this team has struggled more in comparison, scoring just 14 goals through 13 games while allowing 21.
Yet in terms of qualifying for the playoffs, the team holds their destiny in their own hands. If the players can pull together three wins in the last three games, they will very likely leapfrog both Brock and York to finish in the sixth spot.
The schedule may do them a favour in this respect, as they play last-place Algoma University twice to close out the season. Algoma has gone winless thus far this season, allowing 58 goals while scoring three themselves. Valvasori is confident about the team’s playoff prospects, and once they are in he believes they can do some damage.
“We need three wins in the next three matches,” said Valvasori. “We’re very capable of doing so, and I think if we do what we’re capable of, and if we can get all cylinders firing at the same time, we can compete with any team in our conference heading into the playoffs.”
Despite the tough losses throughout the season, Valvasori is encouraged by the overall improvements of the team. According to him, the team has become much more organized, both on the offensive and defensive sides of the pitch.
The coach has also been impressed by the general positivity of the team. “They’re all positive, they’re all buying in, and they’re all putting in the work, so I have great confidence in their future success,” said Valvasori. “They’re a very cohesive group — no locker room issues, no cliques. They’re all very friendly with each other and they all want to see each other do well.”
As coach Valvasori has implemented new systems and become familiar with the players, he has seen how the key veterans each play different roles in leading the squad and pushing the team forward.
“They’ve all brought different things,” coach Valvasori said. “Mary [Craig] and Ally [Riganelli] are two of our most consistent players. Faye [Stavropolous] and Jessie [Faber] are really good at creating. Cass [Davis] and Steph [Roberts] are good at keeping the squad organized, so everybody is contributing in their own way.”
Valvasori sees a lot to be excited about with this team, both now and in the future. Many older players are expected to return next year, so more growth from the upper end of the team can be expected. Add that to six freshman rookies, and the team’s outlook is quite promising for the rest of this this season and the seasons ahead. As the team continues to develop and learns to maximize on their talent in a well-defined system, the wins will start to come.
“A lot of the older players are only third years, so they still have a couple seasons left,” Valvasori said. “On top of having some good pieces that have come in and I’m sure lots more recruits will come in next year, it’s a pretty solid core to take to the next few seasons.”
For now, the team looks to stay positive and close out the season strong. Based on their progress so far, they appear more than capable to do just that.
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By: Griffin Marsh
Heading into the second half of the season, the McMaster men’s soccer team looks to continue to find the back of the net at an impressive rate while shutting down teams at the other end.
The Marauders have already played nine games of their 16-game season with lots of positive moments to reflect on. McMaster is scoring at a rate of three goals per game, fourth highest in all of U Sports.
This is a different place than Mac has found itself in previous years. Perhaps it’s the different personnel or a younger team, but overall, head coach Dino Perri is very positive about what he sees.
“Scoring is tough, but stopping teams is a little easier at times, so I am happy about where we are at,” said Perri. “We are still relatively young, so the inconsistency of a young team is there. Be more consistent and stronger on the defensive end and I think we will be in good shape going forward.”
The Marauders faced an interesting double-header Sept. 23 and 24. Playing Windsor and Western, both games presented challenges. The travel time to Windsor will always play a role in Mac’s performance, and Western is a team that always presents a good test. Despite the challenges, Mac was able to win both games and added six more goals to their season total.
“[Windsor’s] record may not be indicative of where they have been in the past… but playing on their field, which can be a little bit difficult, always presents a challenge,” said Perri of McMaster’s first opponent. “We are used to the two games in a weekend type of thing and we take one game at a time and constantly preach to the guys to not underestimate your opponent.”
Looking beyond this weekend, the remainder of the season and the future of the team looks bright for McMaster. The team has a young and ambitious cohort but they are also focused and driven on their immediate future. For Perri, the goals for this season have been and will always remain the same: to compete and challenge for a championship in Nov., and this still remains in reach.
A new piece on the team and a player already playing key roles is freshman offensive mid-fielder, Anand Sergeant. Sergeant has impressed through the first half of the season, scoring two goals and adding two assists while starting in all seven games. For coach Perri, what stands out about Sergeant is his soccer IQ.
“He is very intelligent, extremely intelligent,” said Perri. “A smart player, who works to no end. Transition into university is just the understanding of the game. It is a big jump and he has done it seamlessly.”
Sergeant has the talent to add to this team, but for himself, the keys to success are a humble attitude and a balanced life.
"We always have the belief and the mentality that we will win, no matter who we are facing."
Anand Sergeant
Men's Soccer Team
“I’m very grateful the coaches have given me a chance to play and show that I can play at this level,” said Sergeant. “Having an immediate impact on my team was a goal I had coming into university, so I’m very happy to be playing. It’s a proud feeling wearing the McMaster logo and representing my school on the field.”
The adjustment into university and varsity life can be a real challenge for some, but Sergeant credited a thoughtful organization and proactive attitude for his initial comfort.
“It has definitely been an adjustment in terms of balancing both school and soccer,” said Sergeant. “It’s a commitment that requires me to make sacrifices in my social life, and the time I have to ‘relax’ in a day — but these are things I expected in advance.”
Moving forward, Sergeant is as equally optimistic as coach Perri about this team’s future in the short- and long-term.
“I believe we have a team that’s capable of doing big things,” Sergeant said. “We have a great balance of veterans with our first and second-year players, and we have such good depth in every position. One thing I like about us is that we always have the belief and the mentality that we will win, no matter who we are facing.”
McMaster is in a tight race to top the Ontario University Athletics West standings and with more positive results against top teams, their chances will continue to look brighter. One thing is for certain though: this team is set up to challenge in the OUA and U Sports competition for years to come.
Up next for the team is a Friday night fight against the Laurier Golden Hawks.
When discussing men’s soccer rivals at McMaster University, two teams that are automatically brought to the conversation are the York Lions and the Guelph Gryphons.
On Sept. 7, over 2,000 roaring fans attended York’s Frosh Frenzy game, making it impossible for the Marauders to match the momentum of their longtime rivals.
After starting off their season 3-1 with an impressive 12 total goals, the Marauders fell 5-2 in this heated rivalry matchup. Mac coach Dino Perri indicated that both York’s experience and the rowdy atmosphere of the stadium had a major impact on the outcome of the game.
“We’re a little bit inexperienced and we played a pretty experienced team who came out pretty fast. I don't think we were quite ready for the pace of the game and the atmosphere of the stadium,” he said.
With a team comprised mainly of younger players, the intense atmosphere on the road was new for many, but it served as a helpful learning opportunity for all.
“A game like today was like being at nationals, which is a really good experience for our guys and something I don't think they're gonna get playing against any other team,” Perri said. “It’s something that the majority of our team never experienced.”
While the excitement of the crowd may have come as a shock, the nature of the game, heavily influenced by the rivalry, was no surprise. With 23 combined fouls (9 for Mac, 14 for York), it was clear that both teams were playing each other with their history in mind.
Although the Lions are now 8-2 over Mac in their last 10 meetings, for Perri, the backstory between the two teams does not define their future.
“The two teams’ history plays a big part, but in the second half we answered a lot of questions that we can actually play with them when we want to and that there is nothing to fear. If they take away all the noise and go out and play properly, they're more than capable.”
Just two days after their loss, the Marauders proved that they were indeed more than capable. McMaster faced their other rivals, the Guelph Gryphons, and beat the defending Ontario University Athletics champions in a solid 4-2 victory.
Just like when playing at York, the Marauders knew that their history with Guelph played a huge role in the match and told them what to expect on the field from the Gryphons.
“They play a very fast and physical type of game and we just have to adapt properly.” Perri said.
“If [McMaster] come out playing like they're capable of like they did today [at York] in the second half, we should be able to come away with a victory.”
By defeating Guelph, who they also happened to fall short to in last year’s OUA quarterfinals, the Marauders proved to the naysayers that they can keep up with the best of the best. So look out Lions, because on October 6 the McMaster’s men’s soccer team will be ready.
By: Eamon Hillis
The Marauders began their playoff journey Wednesday Oct. 26 in an Ontario University Athletics preliminary qualifier at home against Windsor. Mac snatched the decisive 4-0 victory from the overmatched Lancers, advancing to challenge Guelph in the quarter finals.
Everything seemed to fall in McMaster’s favour against Windsor. The Lancers entered their Oct. 26 matchup with significant injury struggles, and was not able to send a full roster. Additionally, they acquired two red cards late in the game which opened the door for Mac to seal the win with three quick goals all after the 60th minute.
“It went as well as could be expected,” head coach Dino Perri said of the Windsor game. “We didn’t really have to exert too much and we came out unscathed by injuries. It was a tough challenge, but our opponents came into the game short staffed, and it was close until they went down a couple men down late.”
In McMaster’s Sunday quarter-final game against Guelph on Oct. 30, however, it was a much different narrative. As the visiting them, facing the higher seeded Gryphons, they would not be victorious. The 3-1 loss would serve as the bitter end to an underwhelming season.
Guelph took the lead very early on, netting two goals in the first and fifth minute. Mac could not recover in spite of having an equal number of chances.
“We went down 2-0 in the first few minutes and then they scored a third goal about fifteen minutes later,” Perri said. “We ended up having a lot of chances ourselves and couldn’t capitalize on them. [Guelph] didn’t do a whole lot to beat us, we beat ourselves. It just wasn’t meant to be today.”
In Mac’s two regular season meetings with Guelph, both ended in a tie. Their first match which ended 0-0 was a competitive matchup with eleven yellow cards allocated by the referee. Both games were physical with the schools’ amorous rivalry on full display. The expectation before their Sunday matchup was that it would be no different.
“The roughness is something the ref has to deal with,” coach Perri said before the game. “You’ve got two teams with animosity between them that are going to battle hard. It’s all going to depend on how the ref officiates and what he lets go.”
McMaster won an OUA silver medal last season and qualified for a spot in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport tournament where they won bronze. This year the team saw much less success with an early elimination. Those on the team were left unsatisfied.
“Overall the season wasn’t great,” coach Perri said. “We didn’t meet our expectations. I expected a lot more from the group of guys that we had. We ran into injury problems early in the year which set us back and I think we never recovered.”
Looking to next season, Mac will be losing key members of their team, and will be attempting to build from ground up.
“We have a few players leaving. Marco Gennaccaro, Kody Kazda, Kyle Kazda, and Karl Bicamumpaka are all leaving. We will be losing some important players to graduation next season.”
Despite not meeting expectations, the Marauder men should be proud of the way the bounced back from injuries and a tough early schedule to put themselves in a position to make some noise in the playoffs. For those coming back next season, they should hold their heads up high and work hard to improve their standing for next year.
By: Justin Parker
After a solid 2015 campaign that saw the women’s soccer team finish fourth in the Ontario University Athletics West division (7-6-3), the team struggled to get things off the ground at the beginning of the 2016 season. In their first seven games, McMaster went without a win (0-5-2) and the squad was outscored 10-4.
However, the team has kept their heads down and worked through an early rough patch that saw them face the top teams of the OUA West. The team bounced back since then, winning six of their last seven games, putting them in fifth place in the OUA West for this season (6-6-2, 20 points).
Although the road to the playoffs is not an easy one, they look to carry their momentum into the final two regular season games.
The team kicked off October with two strong wins against Windsor (1-0) and Waterloo (3-0), and then traveled to Algoma last weekend to dominate 6-0 and 7-0 in back-to-back games. They are now looking to continue their form throughout the rest of the season and heading into the playoffs.
This sudden resurgence coincides with the return of many key players. One of the those to return recently was goalkeeper Deanna Persico, who currently ranks fourth in the OUA in Goals Against (four). Persico also ranks fifth in shutouts (four), which all came in her first five games since her return from injury.
“The team started the season with a massive amount of injuries,” head coach Brett Mosen said. “[At one point] We had 15 healthy players out of 33”.
Persico’s presence was missed in the middle of the season, where the team lost five straight games in her absence, and roster adjustments were constantly made by the coaching staff.
Coach Mosen stressed the perseverance of the team, and how the were able to play well despite these injuries.
“I think the girls did tremendously well at the beginning of the season. With no healthy defenders, we converted midfield players to defenders and they did fantastic. Although we didn’t get the results we wanted, I think they did very well.”
Now McMaster looks to ride this momentum into the playoffs. They may not get home field advantage but can still make a lengthy run into the playoffs if they keep this pace of play up.
In their games against Algoma, McMaster cruised, allowing the team to sit several starting players. Given the injuries early in the season, the strength of the bench maintained the level of play. Depth is an asset come OUA playoff time.
With their star goalkeeper back, the Marauders are positioned to gain more momentum as they finish off the regular season and head into the playoffs
“We’ve just got to keep the winning mentality going and stay confident,” Mosen said. “We are a confident team and players are healthy. The girls have worked hard all season, have committed to getting to the playoffs when it looked unlikely at one stage, but our belief never stopped. We always believed we could get there. It was just getting everyone together and healthy.”
The women’s soccer team looks poised for an excellent run into the playoffs. A win over league-rivals Laurier would clinch the fifth seed for Mac. Now that the team is healthy, nothing is in their way.
