The world of sports is no stranger to near-constant coaching changes, with some teams considering installing a revolving door in the coach’s office. That has not been the case for the McMaster wrestling team as it has been under the watchful eye of coach Nick Cipriano for the last 36 years.

But at the end of the 2016-2017 season that ended with an Ontario University Athletics silver medal finish for the men’s team and fourth place for the women’s team, Cipriano decided to hang up the singlet and left a big pair of shoes to fill for the team’s next head coach.

Enter Cleo Ncube, a Kingston-raised Canadian national team veteran who spent time training with the Montreal Wrestling Club, one of the premier programs in Canada. Ncube is accustomed to being around talented individuals, as the club has produced over a dozen Olympic athletes since its founding.

No matter the pedigree, taking up a head coach’s mantle, especially from someone who has held the title for multiple decades, is never an easy task. But amidst the various changes and adjustments that come with a coaching change, coach Ncube is already off to a great start.

Fourth-year Jenna Leslie, who has wrestled for the women’s team since her first year, noted the considerable changes over the course of this transitional offseason and how Ncube has handled his new role.

“Cleo is a phenomenal coach,” said Leslie. “With a new coach it is always different and getting used to that coaching style definitely takes time. There are some growing pains. He’s still getting used to coaching us, we’re still getting used to a new coach. But he is very patient, very willing to work with everyone on the team — no matter what level they’re at, no matter what their goals are for the season.”

According to the veteran wrestler, who has been wrestling since middle school, coach Ncube’s style is very accommodating and he makes sure to take time to work with each wrestler individually.

“He always says if we are committed he will be there, and he will be there to help us reach whatever goals we have,” Leslie said. “He’s very accommodating and everything that he does is very individualized to the athlete. So when you are in a match and he is telling you to do something, he knows that you know how to do that technique because he has shown you and you’ve worked on it with him. He is very [much there] for the athletes, and wants us to do well. And he’s willing to put in the effort for that.”

This individualized approach has worked to revitalize the wrestling team and has wrestlers excited for the upcoming season. Among the most excited wrestler is Leslie who is coming off an OUA bronze medal in the women’s 59 kg category last season. This year, Leslie has her sights set high: to medal at OUAs again and compete nationally at the U Sports tournament in 2018.

“I had some close matches at OUA, it was one of my best tournaments last season,” explained Leslie. “The one match I lost was against a girl I wrestled two weeks before and she beat me 11-1. At OUAs, she was my first match and I was winning with a minute left and got thrown, but I still want to say it was one of my best matches of the day. That’s the weird thing about the sport: you can lose a match but it can still be better than a match that you won.”

Leslie has a long history with the sport, tracing her early days of wrestling to Grade 8, when a sprightly 90 lb girl was keen to try out for her school’s team. She soon became one of two girls among roughly 20 boys who made up the school team.

Leslie spent most of her career training and wrestling with the boys, but found it to her advantage as they would work to push each other, and the men’s and women’s teams both train together today. According to Leslie, male and female wrestlers have different patterns and tendencies so there are positives in wrestling with both men and women.

Leslie continued to wrestle throughout middle school, dedicating the next five years of her life to the sport. So it was an obvious choice to continue this into a collegiate career.

“When I was applying to university I was like ‘I can’t not wrestle,’” Leslie explained. “I was drawn to Mac for many reasons. I had met girls from the team when I was still in high school so I came down here and trained with them a few times and immediately just felt like this team was such a great fit for me.”

“I knew right away that the team had such a different feel than other schools and other teams I had been around. As soon I was at Mac and training with their team, it just clicked. I knew that the atmosphere and all that was exactly what I was looking for,” she added.

From her dedication to the sport and the time she has spent at McMaster, Leslie easily exemplifies a sense of team unity and camaraderie that is characteristic of this Marauders wrestling team. In a sport that features only individual matches, it is often tough to form a team mindset when you are not fighting to win directly alongside your teammates.

“I just want to wrestle the best that I can and see the team grow, compete and do well as a full team,” said Leslie. “Last year, our women’s team did place better than the last 10 years at OUAs. I hope we can continue to grow on that can continue to be a more competitive team. We have the potential to do it and we have room to grow. With some of the first years coming in and some of the other girls becoming more comfortable and already seeing the amount of improvement from last year to this year, I’m really excited to see how the season goes and see how it plays out.”

At the end of October, the Marauders participated in the Concordia Invitational as their first tournament of the season, sending only members form the women’s team to this smaller event in Quebec. Despite the smaller size, the team encountered a lot of tough matches but were able to place highly.

At the event, rookie Olivia Menard finished second at 48 kilograms, Jenna Leslie placed third in the 59 kg category and rookie Sandra Bay also finished third in the 63 kg category.

The Mac women were able to bring this momentum back home as the team was able to officially kick off the season in a welcoming environment, hosting the annual McMaster Invitational in Burridge Gym. In a tournament that featured over 150 athletes from across 20 university and club teams, the Marauders women’s team finished fifth overall, with the men’s team placing fourth overall.

“I think it is a really good predictor for the rest of the season,” Leslie said. “There were definitely some tough match-ups but the team in general did really well. Everyone wrestled well and the Mac Open is always a good start. I always like how it is the start of the season.”

While the teams missed the podium collectively, several individual Marauders placed highly in their respective weight class. Fourth-year Erik Joy, the 2017 U Sports bronze medallist, came first at 68 kilograms while Ameen Aghamirian also came first in his weight class (100 kg).

The rookie wrestlers also continued to shine as Olivia Menard finished second at 48 kg and Connor Quinton finished second at 65 kg. Rounding out the top finishes for the women’s team, Leslie added another third place finish on the young season, this time in the 55 kilogram category.

Next up, the Marauders will head to the Ryerson Open on Nov. 11, the second last tournament before the Ontario Senior Championships in Kitchener on Nov. 25. After an offseason of changes and new routines, the Mac wrestling team is ready and able to resume their dominance on the Canadian wrestling scene. This sure promises to be an exciting season.

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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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After ending the regular season with a rough 40-15 loss to the Laurier Golden Hawks on Oct. 2, the McMaster Marauders’ win against the Queen’s Gaels on Oct. 28 brought them back to Waterloo for the Ontario University Athletics semi-final game. And reminiscent of the last time, the Marauders’ playoff season was brought to an end with a disappointing 16-9 loss.

Thanks to an early 11-yard touchdown run by the Golden Hawks’ running back Levondre Gordon, Laurier made their presence known early. The No. 5 U Sports team’s defence stopped several attempts made by the Marauders’ offence. By the half, the 2016 OUA Rookie of the Year Adam Preocanin was able to kick Mac on to the scoreboard, bringing the game to 7-3.

The low-scoring game was courtesy of both teams’ defence, but Laurier was able to move the ball just enough for “No Pressure” Nathan Meshur to kick four good field goals. Despite another good kick from Preocanin, Mac was unable to close the gap in the score.

Along with struggling on the field, penalties were a big issue for both teams and officiating in general was sometimes just inexplicable. With a total of 31 penalties (Laurier with 14 and Mac 17), some of Mac’s penalties were the result of mental errors including too many players on the field and offside, while others were more extreme like their three objectionable conduct penalties.

Two of those OC penalties were the aftermath of a verbal altercation on the field after a hard hit by Laurier’s defensive back Isaiah Guzylak-Messam on Mac receiver Mitch O’Connor. O’Connor was unable to get up for a long period of time and several players became extremely upset.

By this point Mac’s frustration was at an all-time high, while Laurier had started to prematurely celebrate their win. For the Marauders, this is their third-straight time getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Golden Hawks. This game’s outcome has surely intensified the rivalry between the two teams going forward, especially for the Marauders.

For first-year quarterback Jackson White, his first playoff loss happening so close to his hometown of Cambridge was the last thing he pictured for this season.

“Obviously it didn’t go how we wanted it to, but right now I’m just feeling for the fifth years,” said White. “If you look at the positives, they didn’t expect us to make the playoffs and we made it all the way to the OUA semi-finals.”

The game exhibited room for growth within the Marauder program and raised some questions about the OUA’s officiating.

“Our inexperience has shown all season but I think the kids played hard and it is what it is,” said McMaster head coach Greg Knox. “Congrats to Laurier and best of luck at the Yates Cup.”

With this being several senior players’ last game, Mac will be loosing key players especially on the defensive side of the ball. Fifth-year players including linebackers Eric Mezzarila and Alec Robertson will be among the major losses for the Marauders.

“Were going to lose a lot of great players but we just have to fill those spots and be better for the 2018 season,” said White.

The Golden Hawks will be face off against the Western Mustangs in London on Nov. 11 for the 110th edition of the Yates Cup. Laurier will be trying to defend their title as the 2017 Yates Cup Champions by fending off the No. 2 Mustangs, who have yet to lose this season and will be looking for revenge along with another shot at the Vanier Cup.

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The rain poured down. The weather was brisk. But despite the circumstances, the McMaster Marauders managed to pull through and beat the Queen’s Gaels 12-9 in the Ontario University Athletics quarterfinal matchup.

The Marauders scored their 12 points early in the game, starting with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Jackson White to Dan Petermann. The Mac men added to their lead with a 12-yard field goal by Adam Preocanin, with the defence chipping in with a safety. 

With the weather not on their side, Mac chose to run the ball for majority of the game, setting up Jordan Lyons to tie an OUA playoff record for carries (39), rushing for a whopping total of 319 yards. That total also happens to be the second most all-time in a playoff game in Canadian University football history.

“As we started running the ball, we wore them down a bit and we noticed that we were gashing them,” said Lyons. “So coach kept feeding me [the football] and I just kept doing my thing.”

With Mac leading at the half 12-0, the Gaels came back after the break full force and managed to kick their way onto the scoreboard. Nick Liberatore of Queen`s kicked three field goals and brought the score to a nail-biting 12-9.

A strong pass from Queen’s quarterback Nate Hobbs to wide receiver Chris Osei-Kusi allowed the Gaels to successfully move up to Mac’s 30-yard line, setting up Liberatore in the perfect position to tie the game. The ball flew through the air and hit the left upright, missing the field goal attempt.

With less than two minutes on the clock, Hobbs completed an 11-yard pass to Osei-Kusi giving Queen’s a first down at Mac’s 39-yard line, and it started to seem as if Queen’s may take the win, but Mac’s defence was not giving up.

“For the defence as a whole, there was no point in our minds when we thought: ‘They’re in scoring range’,” said linebacker Eric Blake. “We knew we were gonna make a play it was just a matter of time.”

The big play could not have come at a better time as Blake intercepted Hobbs’ pass turning the game around back to favour the home team. Along with Blake’s interception, a late sack from defensive end Mark Mackie sealed the deal.

As the clock ran out, the fans, the team, and head coach Greg Knox were all able to sigh in relief as the Marauders took a positive step towards the semi-finals.

“We showed some grit and resilience today that wasn’t apparent last week, so that was great to see,” said Knox. “The offence did a great job moving the ball in the first half but we’re still having trouble putting the ball in the end zone. They struggled in the second half, but when they needed to move the ball at key times, they answered.”

Next up, Mac will face Wilfred Laurier in the OUA semi-final match. As the defending Yates Cup champions, Laurier will be giving their all this Saturday but Mac will be seeking payback as they recently lost 40-15 to the Golden Hawks in their last regular season game.

While the Marauders have been playing every weekend since Aug. 25, the Golden Hawks are coming off of a bye week and have the advantage of rest on their side.

“The injuries have already taken their toll but all we can do is have the ‘next man up’ approach,” said Knox. “We’re losing veteran players and replacing them with youngsters who are playing playoff football so they have no choice but to do their best and step up.”

Whether they have seen the field several times or for the first time this weekend, every player on Mac will need to give it their all to stop Laurier's offence, break through their defence and claim their spot at the 110th Yates Cup.

“It’s definitely a revenge game,” said Marauders’ quarterback Jackson White following the game. “We’re gonna have some fun tonight, but then we’re focused on Laurier and hopefully it’s a different outcome than last time.”

The playoffs can be unpredictable at times and often do not always go exactly as planned, but as long you come away with the win, that is all that matters. The Marauders will face another win-or-go-home matchup on Nov. 4 at Univeristy Stadium in Waterloo.

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By: Griffin Marsh

The McMaster women’s volleyball team, the reigning Ontario University Athletics champions, suffered a disappointing upset to the Ryerson Rams at home on Oct. 27, an unexpected start to a season that is full of hope, leadership and potential.

Coming into the 2017-2018 U Sports season home opener, the Marauders were riding high, initially ranked No. 4 in the country. The team was also coming off of a preseason tune-up in Ottawa at the end of September that saw the Marauders take all five possible victories.

The story on Friday night did not follow the same tune as the Marauders handled the first two sets, but quickly let the next three sets slip away, culminating in a 15-7 loss in the decisive fifth set.

This was McMaster’s first loss to Ryerson since Nov. 2014 and came as a complete surprise to most involved.

“It initially felt very good to be back underway, but unfortunately the game did not go the way we have liked it to,” said Maicee Sorensen, a fifth-year middle and one of the team’s captains. “We did not play the game we wanted to. Ryerson outplayed us, and they deserved the win. I am not happy about it, but again we will use this first game as inspiration to work harder and better for the next one.”

"We have a strong core group of players that have the skill and mindset that will bring us right to the end of the season and ultimately the U Sport championship at Laval.”

 

Carly Heath
Women's Volleyball Team

It should be noted that Sorensen was a real bright spot for the Marauders against the Rams, notching 21 kills and a kill percentage of .750, easily the most efficient of any player on the floor. While the Marauders may have been outplayed on Friday, this does not seem to be an expected trend moving forward.

The Marauders carry four players on the roster who are heading into their final year of eligibility, and coming off an OUA championship and U Sports National Championship appearance last season, this team is battle tested. One of those players in her final year, along with Sorensen, is libero Carly Heath, who is excited about a lot of the upcoming season.

“We have a strong core group of players that I think have the skill and mindset that will bring us right to the end of the season and ultimately the U Sport championship at Laval in March,” said Heath.

For Heath, another key excitement is the opportunity to finish her time as a Marauder with the same women she started with four years prior.

“We’ve been through a mix of different teammates and wins and losses in the past four seasons together,” recalled Heath. “I’m super excited to end out my McMaster career here with these same girls that I came in with.”

When thinking about larger goals for this season, the message seemed to be reaffirmed by both Heath and Sorensen: a message centred on winning.

“We need to be better than the year before,” began Sorenson. She added, “This year is a little different in my head though. It is my fifth and final year, and we are coming off of a championship year so the expectations are quite high.”

While the expectations are high for this season, the Marauders boasted a packed preseason, playing nine games in a little over two weeks during September. While this may seem to be a burden for a lot of teams, Heath argued that it is key in allowing for routines and systems to be established.

“We had some time to get back into things and get more used to playing with some new members,” Heath said of the preseason. “Building off of what we learned in those preseason games and practices will be important in our actual league play to focus on what we need to do to be successful together.”

While Friday may have been an unexpected speed bump in the road for the Mac women, there is much to be excited about moving forward.

This roster is deep from top to bottom, boasting both new talent and veteran staff. Much of this team also knows what is needed and expected of in a grueling U Sports season, losing only two players to graduation last season.

Up next for the Marauders is the Waterloo Warriors in our own Burridge Gym, on Friday Nov. 3 at 6 p.m.

Don’t start stress eating your Halloween candy yet, volleyball fans. This team knows what is needed, and has proven it can adjust in the past. This season is fresh and there is a lot to look forward to.

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If you have gone through elementary school or high school, chances are you have run cross-country in some way, shape or form, but that does not mean you have the capability to compete at the university level.

That is what Jeff Tweedle, fifth-year civil engineering student and cross-country star, used to think before he took a try at running. Growing up, Tweedle played volleyball throughout high school and loved it, but he also knew that his chances to play at the next level were slim.

It was not until the end of grade 11 that the Cardinal Newman Secondary School student was introduced to local track coach Patti Moore of the Hamilton Olympic Club. He started training with the club more seriously shortly after, and did so throughout the twelfth grade.

“I didn’t have that much of an intention of running when I came to Mac,” said Tweedle. “My track times were okay, but compared to the guys they recruit now I was really slow.”

In his first year, Tweedle struggled with adjusting and balancing to life as a student-athlete and had the worst year of his career. Over the summer after his first year, he had the opportunity to train with head coach Paula Schnurr and from there has seen nothing but constant improvement.

Tweedle believes that they took a chance on him, and that chance has been paying off ever since. The fifth-year runner is the McMaster record holder in the 1,000 metre (2:22:58), 1,500 metre (3:45:80) and mile (4:02.05) distances.

“It was just something that neither of us expected to happen and it was just such a big breakthrough for me,” said Tweedle on his 1,000 metre McMaster record he made two years ago at the Boston University Valentine Invitational.

At the time, Tweedle was suffering from Achilles issues and was not where he wanted to be going into Boston. So winning his heat, finishing third overall and breaking both Mac’s record and his personal best came as a huge surprise.

“I was just in shock,” said Tweedle. “I stepped off the track and looked for my coach Paula and we just hugged it out.”

Over the years, Tweedle has had many good surprises on the track, but he’s had bad ones too — as any athlete does. After having a solid start to the 2017 season, Tweedle was in contention to win at the Ontario University Athletics Cross-Country Championships on Oct. 28. Unfortunately, he ended up falling at the five kilometre mark, which set him back from the lead group.

“I had to do a lot more work to close that gap and collect myself after falling,” said Tweedle. “It hurt me a bit physically, but it was more just the mental shock of hitting the ground, rolling around and trying to pop back up to finish the race.”

Tweedle ended up coming in fifth with a time of 30:46.4, helping the Marauders men’s team place second overall. Sergio Raez Villanueva, Marauder newcomer and sophomore, placed second overall with 30:37.3. First-year Max Turek took home the individual bronze and OUA rookie of the year honours with a time of 30:39.5.

“When I was coming in with 100 metres left and I could see Sergio and Max crossing the line I was just so happy for them,” said Tweedle. “It’s crazy to see these guys early on in their Mac careers doing so well. I may be heading out and it may be the end for me, but to see what these guys are accomplishing is insane.”

The McMaster women’s team also came in at a solid fourth place thanks to Melissa Caruso, who individually placed at 11th with a time of 28:40.7 and Emily Nowak who came in 14th place with 28:57.1.

Both women were named OUA second-team all-stars, while Tweedle, Turek and Raez Villanueva were named OUA first-team all-stars.

As his university career comes to a close at the end of the fall semester, Tweedle hopes that it is not the end of his running career.

“I’m not too sure what I want to do after I graduate,” said Tweedle. “I’m leaving it pretty open so over the next year I can take a crack at running and see how far I can take it.”

Working out a deal with bigger track clubs or a running shoe and apparel sponsor would be the next step for Tweedle to become a professional runner. Although once he hangs up his cleats, Tweedle hopes to work in municipal engineering.

But for now, he still has one more race to try to win as a Marauder. His sights are set on the U Sports championships, where both the men’s and women’s teams will be competing.

“[The OUA Championships] wasn’t quite what I hoped for as I was hoping to get a medal and it didn’t quite go that way,” Tweedle said. “But it’s nice to have the U Sports in two weeks. We were ready for the OUA’s, but we’re gonna be even better in two weeks.”

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By: Andrew Sarkis

With last year in the rear-view mirror, the McMaster women’s basketball team have turned a new page, beginning the 2017-2018 season with an opening night 71-60 win over the Guelph Gryphons. In what was a foul-filled game, the Marauders ultimately came out on top, thanks in part to a team-leading 15-point performance from guard Hilary Hanaka.

It was evident both teams had to shake off a bit of rust during the season-opener, as the game started off slowly on offence for both teams before picking up in the later parts of the game. Head coach Theresa Burns saw that the opener was a scrappy match, and acknowledged that wins did not have to look pretty.

“It was a scrappy game,” Burns said. “Bodies were flying everywhere and there were lots of fouls. It was a very difficult game with lots of contact. For us, they’re not always going to be pretty and you got to be able to adapt to the teams we’re playing.”

Despite the tougher conditions of the game, Burns drew positives from the win, citing the team’s ability to adapt to high-pressure situations as an important factor.

“I was really happy with the pushback that our team showed,” Burns said. “Whether it was diving to the floor for the ball or pushing back on boxouts, our team showed a lot grit and tenacity for 40 minutes. Despite the fact Guelph ramped up the pressure and were trying to play a fast game with us, I was really happy that we made decisions at a fast pace. It took us a minute or two to figure out their pressure and once we did I thought we adapted well.”

Prior to the season-opener, McMaster had a unique international preparation opportunity. Through July 25 to July 30, the team travelled to Taiwan to partake in the Buddha Light International Association Cup Tournament. The Marauders were able compete against teams from seven different countries, an experience that head coach Theresa Burns spoke highly of.

“They’re critical,” said Burns. “To be able to challenge the best teams in the country you have to play the best teams in the country, just to figure ourselves out and show weaknesses in our own game that we need to fix up before heading into league. Playing games in Taiwan was just incredible. International basketball pace, style, intensity and skill level was just off the charts.”

The Marauders were also able to partake in the annual Ryerson Darcel Wright Memorial Tournament on Oct. 20 to Oct. 22. Mac swept the competition, defeating the University of New Brunswick and the host Ryerson Rams en route to a gold medal game victory against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

“The Ryerson tournament gave us three good quality out-of-conference games against teams that are going to be top 10 teams all year,” Burns said. “To challenge ourselves that way is fantastic and all about learning what we’re doing well and not doing well to better prepare us for the league.”

With both preliminary games and the season opener out of the way, the Marauders are now focused on moving forward with a lot of new faces on their roster. The departure of notable star player Danielle Boiago marks one of many ways how the team will be much different from the bronze medal winners from last year.

“Well, we’re definitely younger,” said Burns. “Our team last year was heavy with fourth- or fifth-year players. I think that for this year’s team, we’re going to score by committee.”

Having a well-rounded team will be integral for the Marauders in their 2017-2018 campaign. Burns notes that though the team possesses all-star players, having a good supporting cast on both offence and defence will pay dividends for the team.

“We have some people that are going to garner some all-star looks: Linnaea Harper, Hilary Hanaka and Olivia Wilson, in particular,” said Burns. “They’re some of the best players in the league but we also have a great supporting cast that are going to do their fair share of scoring and defence as well.”

Despite evident changes within the landscape of the team, expectations stay the same. With the presence of top-tier facilities and team staff on hand, the players can step forward and aim to achieve these expectations with aid and continuous support.

“We really focus on walking into the gym everyday and focusing on that day and getting better,” Burns stated. “If we operate that way, the results will take care of themselves. We have a fantastic strength and conditioning staff that works with our group. They have the team so well-prepared in strength and fitness. We try to give all support possible.”

With a superb coaching staff and excellent support system behind them, the new-look Marauders will turn to Queen’s University to build off their opening night success. Mac will face the Gaels on Nov. 3 for what promises to be the next step in a successful season.

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Not too long ago the Marauders began their 2017 season, not knowing who would be their starting quarterback. But as the regular season comes to a close, Jackson White has answered that question.

“It’s been a great experience,” said White of his first season. “I’ve met a lot of good friends and teammates. The game is different and faster than in high school with the bigger and stronger guys coming at you, but so far it has been going well.”

White may not be in high school anymore, but he is happy to have his high school teammates Riley Pilkey, a cornerback, and Mario Alyas, a defensive back, on the team. Pilkey is in his second year and has helped White settle in at Mac during his first season.

“One pregame ritual I have to do every game is play catch with Riley Pilkey as well as eating breakfast with Joseph O’Brien on the field.”

White has been adjusting to McMaster quite well, but one thing that has surprised him is how bad his style is. Not his style of play, but rather his style of dress.

"One pregame ritual I have to do every game is play catch with Riley Pilkey as well as eating breakfast with Joseph O'Brien on the field." 

Jackson White
Quarterback

“[The guys on the team] call it the ‘No Swag-Swag’,” White said. “I’m not up to speed with that, but I guess you got to look good, feel good and play good, so I have to change that up a bit.”

The first year, 6’4” quarterback from Cambridge, Ont. may not be receiving any cool points for his fashion sense this season, but his playing style in his first season as a university-level starting quarterback has been impressive.

His first official game as a starter, which also happens to be his favourite game so far, was against the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Winning 24-7 at home, White helped lead Mac in the first win of a five-game winning streak.

Since the win against Ottawa, White and the Marauders have ruined homecoming for the Guelph Gryphons and won big at their own homecoming against the York Lions. The following week they crushed the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues in a 43-6 victory. Then they got the “W” once again during their last regular season home game, handily beating the Windsor Lancers.

Unfortunately for Mac, the winning streak came to a halt in the last regular season game, falling short at the hands of the Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks on Sept. 21.

The Golden Hawks came out looking for vengeance after falling short to the Guelph Gryphons 24-14 the week before and took their frustrations out on the Marauders. Despite Mac’s best efforts, they were unable to stop them.

“It wasn’t the game that we thought it was going to be,” said White. “We had a good game plan going into the game and we didn’t quite execute that game plan.”

White was able to connect with Dan Petermann on a 98-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and cut the lead in half, but the Golden Hawks answered back ending the half in the lead 24-7.

“They got the momentum early and it was hard to turn it around,” White said. “We thought after the halftime we could make a big comeback in the second half but we fell short.”

As defending Yates Cup champions, the Golden Hawks’ offence did not let the absence of starting quarterback Michael Knevel slow them down. In his place, freshman quarterback Tristan Arndt handled his first career start with ease, completing 18 of his 23 pass attempts for 213 yards and three touchdowns. Arndt added 65 yards on three carries as well.

Some may have underestimated Arndt, especially given that Knevel is a top Canadian Football League prospect and Ontario University Athletics leader. But White was not surprised by Laurier’s rookie’s ability to win big.

“We knew their offence had weapons and we just didn’t execute across the board throughout the game,” said White. “[Arndt] had a good game and he played well against a great defence.”

"It's do or die now so we'll be ready to go" 

Jackson White
Quarterback

Mac’s usually dominant defence, who had gone into the game only allowing 10 or more points on two occasions this season, struggled stopping Laurier’s explosive offence.

One of their hardest opponents to stop was OUA-leading receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. Finishing Saturday’s game with 10 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, Gittens Jr. became the U Sports single-season leader with 75 receptions and leads his team in receiving yards leader with 953.

“It’s not the end of the world,” White reflected on the loss. “We’re going to play a good team in Queen’s and hopefully we’ll be right back there.”

The Marauders went into Laurier with the OUA’s second-place position they had just claimed the week before and a possibility of having a bye week in the playoffs. Now in third place and no extra week to rest, the quarterfinal matchup has the makings to be a grueling battle.

The Gaels and the Marauders have yet to meet this season but both teams pose a threat to each other. Although Queen’s has had a slow start and is currently ranked sixth in the OUA, they have the current OUA touchdown passing leader, quarterback Nate Hobbs, and touchdown reception leader, receiver Chris Osei-Kusi, driving their offence.

“It’s do or die now so we’ll be ready to go,” said White. “It’s a home playoff game, everyone wants to play at home in the playoffs, so we’ve got to capitalize on that. We also have to execute well and hopefully, we’ll be successful.”

It’s time for playoff season and anything can happen in a do-or-die game, and the first round of the OUA playoffs promise to keep fans guessing. What we know for sure is that the quarterfinal game will be tough, but Jackson White and the Marauders are not about to go down that easy.

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By: Andrew Sarkis

The McMaster women’s rugby season came to an end on Sept. 29, losing to the division-leading Guelph Gryphons. In a head-to-head matchup between the number one and two ranked teams in the Shiels Division, the Gryphons came out on top, outscoring the Marauders 35-19 at Ron Joyce Stadium and putting the women’s team’s undefeated bid to a halt.

A year removed from finishing with a perfect record, it was not how the women’s team envisioned ending the season, but nevertheless, the Marauders capped off a successful four-game stint.

McMaster players Khadijah Brouillete, Maddie Cohoon and Britni French each had tries for the Marauders and kickstarted the offensive push, leading their team into the halftime break down 14-7. The game started to pick up, as both Cohoon and French intercepted Guelph passes, breaking away to score during the later parts of the game, although Guelph held a 28-19 lead and controlled play until the conclusion of the game.

The Marauders’ chance at a perfect season was diminished largely in part due to Guelph’s third-year fly half Julia Schell, who scored 15 points on the night. Schell scored one try and added five conversions, with her most important try coming at the later stages of the game, sealing the win for the Gryphons and leading them past the Marauders by a 16-point margin. Guelph finished the season undefeated, and made a statement on the Shiels Division, claiming the top seed.

Centre Britni French says she does not think much went wrong for the Marauders, mentioning the game against Guelph as being a tough and fair matchup.

“I don’t think anything went particularly wrong,” said French. “I think we had a great game… I don’t think they’re any better of a team than we are. It was a tough match up and we had a tough game against Queen’s the weekend before. Some people were pretty banged up… none of us are unhappy with the way that we played.”

The women’s team enjoyed a successful season due in part to many players evenly contributing to the team’s prolific offence. Over the course of their four games, the Marauders totalled 121 points and outscored their opponents in winning games by an average margin of 17 points.

“I think we play a very dynamic style of play. In rugby, a lot of teams tend to lean towards a typical punch it up forward, dominant game,” French said. “But I think we have a nice mix between using our forwards in an appropriate manner to punch the line, or using them out wide because of their great passing skills. We have some pretty speedy girls on the outside on the wing, so they’ve been super beneficial this year.”

A main factor, and large part of the team’s success, was eight-man Sara Svoboda, who led the charge offensively for the team over the year, finishing second in Ontario University Athletics scoring with four tries and 11 conversions on the season.

French says the team does not rely on any individual to carry the burden, though, citing overall teamwork as a key to their success.

“I wouldn’t say one individual stands out more than others,” French said. “Obviously, people put in a lot of work. I think in rugby, it’s such a team sport that I wouldn’t say our team is successful because of one or two people. I think it’s because everyone does their job and is doing it properly on the field.”

With the season now in the rear-view mirror, the Marauders are sitting comfortably as the second seed in the Shiels Division and are now shifting their focus towards the upcoming post-season.

As per the OUA playoff competitive structure, McMaster will have a bye through the quarterfinals as a benefit of finishing amongst the top two seeds in their division.

A total of six teams, the top four seeds in the Shiels Division and top two seeds in the Russell Division will qualify for the post-season. As two teams will be receiving a bye through to the semi-finals, only two quarter-final matches will be played, slated for Oct. 7. The semi-finals will be played on Oct. 14 with the ultimate champion of the OUA being crowned on Oct. 21.

The Guelph Gryphons and Brock Badgers pose interesting challenges to the Marauders. The Badgers present their own set of challenges and have yet to face off against the Mac women.

In the Russell Division, the Badgers have dominated games, finishing the season undefeated and outscoring their opponents by an astounding margin of 352-24. Their star player, rookie fly back Meagan Hart, concluded the season atop the OUA scoring with one try and 23 conversions. Brock will be matched up in the quarter-finals against the York Lions, with their eyes set on facing Guelph in the next round.

Though intensity is sure to pick up during the post-season, the team’s preparation will not be much different than to that of the regular season.

“We’ll look at a little more film to prepare for the most part,” French said. “I think we’ll focus more on ourselves and look at the few areas of the game we haven’t had a chance to focus on yet in practice.”

Looking to avenge their previous season’s second place post-season finish against Guelph, it is safe to say the Marauders will be highly motivated for their upcoming game. Led by a top scorer in Sara Svoboda and surrounded by a team hungry for success, it will be quite a telling tale to see just how far this team can go.

Time will tell as to who the Marauders’ semi-final opponent will be on Oct. 14, as they will await the results of the quarter-final matchup between the Laurier Golden Hawks and Queen’s Gaels. Either way, Mac is well-poised to end off their high-flying 2017 season with a strong playoff run.

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By: Myles Baldwin

The life of a student-athlete is different from that of most other students in the sense that the 24-hour day is consumed with either sports or schoolwork.

Living this type of lifestyle may be overwhelming, although the responsibility of the student is to manage their time around studies, training, workouts and a balanced social life.

Varsity sports help students achieve higher marks by teaching valuable time management skill and helping them develop the skill to enhance their academics.

The student-athlete title comes with leadership and accountability. Athletes are responsible for maintaining high academic marks and a dominating performance on the field.

Most people are unaware about what it takes to fulfil the “student-athlete” image because they do not understand the amount of hard work and dedication it takes. McMaster students are held to high standards, and learn different tools in in sports, which transfer to the class room as well. For example, student-athletes are expected to arrive early to work-outs, which translates into showing up to class earlier than usual as a result.

Athletes are encouraged to demonstrate leadership and hard work throughout their obligations.

Accountability is emphasized on a sports team where players are expected to show up early to get a job done and leadership emphasizes being first to arrive to get a head start. The high expectations from varsity sports triggers student-athletes to create a work ethic that differentiates themselves from regular students.

The self-discipline instigated by varsity sports lends itself to academic focus, helping to banish procrastination.

Living this type of lifestyle may be overwhelming, although the responsibility of the student is to manage their time around studies, training, workouts and a balanced social life.

According to an article in the Guardian, “the mind wanders when doing essays, but if you develop a focus and know you have to use your time efficiently then it’s a very transferable skill”.

At McMaster, students on a scholarship are expected to meet a strict grade of 70 per cent in order to remain eligible for the scholarship.

Keeping in mind the amount of time being consumed with sports, student-athletes are forced to work hard and neglect distractions from achieving their mandatory marks to remain eligible.

With the academic requirements being so high, athletes are given a goal to reach which creates motivation they use in their sports to succeed in the classroom.

Eligibility alone pushes student-athletes to work hard in their school work so they are allowed to compete in their sports. McMaster student-athletes are also provided with a fantastic academic advising group who are strictly employed to mentor and guide them through success within their classes.

The student-athletes are responsible to attend mandatory study sessions each week where they are given tutoring and guidance with completing their assignments. This process forces the student-athlete to work hard to achieve the marks necessary to remain eligible.

Daily time consumption for a student-athlete consists of mandatory early morning workouts, class, training and study hall. Athletes are given a time slot each week where they meet with academic advisors to discuss time management. Student-athletes are instructed on how to prepare a schedule, which is useful to keep track of their availability.

Knowing how to manage time wisely at a young age is a beneficial tool for life inside and outside of school.

With that being said, the risk of negative distractions and involvement of activities outside of school or sports are easily preventable. McMaster athletes are taught to manage a positive and healthy social life around their obligations as a student.

These valuable traits will also carry on to benefit them in their future careers. Sports teach young adults how to be brave and confident when stepping outside of their comfort zone.

Varsity sports teaches students how to be comfortable in difficult situations, which is key for conquering assignments at their highest potential.

Students on a sports team have many great resources available to them at McMaster. This includes guidance on how to achieve high marks, manage schedules and conquer obligations. These are all positive rewards as a result of being a part of the varsity sports community at McMaster university.

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