After falling short to Brock University, the McMaster wrestling team picked up podium finishes at this year's nationals
After the McMaster University wrestling program’s 2022-2023 season, which saw the men and women's team win a national silver and bronze medal respectively, head coach Ahmed Shamiya and his wrestlers had high standards for what they could accomplish this year.
With standout wrestlers such as Serena Di Benedetto, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, and Karanveer Mahil, a first-year U Sports gold medalist, having a year of experience behind them, the team would look to grow and further develop the talent in their roster.
This year's regular season would go smoothly for the Marauders, who gained multiple podium finishes throughout their competitions.
Second-year Irman Kang and fourth-year Macy Malysiak were two athletes who contributed big for the teams. They were able to capture McMaster’s Athlete of the Week accolades during the season’s progression on Jan. 15 and Feb 12. respectively.
As the team approached their OUA Championships on Feb. 10, they would likely have had one major goal in mind. The Marauders were looking to take first place from back-to-back OUA champion Brock University University.
The Marauders were looking to take first place from back-to-back OUA champion Brock University.
This would prove too big of a challenge for the Marauders, as both the men and women’s teams could only capture a silver medal and fall yet again to the Brock Badgers.
After the OUA championships concluded, the Marauders would head to Guelph, Ont. on Mar. 2 to compete in the U Sports national championships.
With gold medal results by second-year wrestler Gregor McNeil and Di Benedetto, the Marauders would round out this year’s competition with a third place finish for the men’s team and a fifth place finish for the women’s team. Second-years Olivia Lichti and Mahil were both able to capture silver medals, adding points to the Marauders' overall scores.
With gold medal results by second-year wrestler Gregor McNeil and Di Benedetto, the Marauders would round out this year’s competition with a third place finish for the men’s team and a fifth place finish for the women’s team.
Despite lower placements in this season's U Sports meet, the Marauders have plenty to look back on and be proud of. For Shamiya, his aim throughout the offseason will likely be to excel even further and increase the team’s form come next season.
Facing tough match-ups with newfound confidence in the playoffs, the Marauders women's basketball team has a promising future ahead of them
The McMaster University women's basketball team's journey through the playoffs was a clear display of the team’s potential to stand toe-to-toe with the country's best. The team was faced with tough match-ups, particularly in their quarterfinal match against the Carleton University Ravens, the top team in the Ontario University Athletics and U Sports, on Feb. 24.
Jenna Button, a player on the women's basketball team, highlighted their increase in confidence throughout the season, a critical factor in their ability to compete at the highest level.
"I truly believe that, even though we are such a young team. We have incredible athletes that put in the work to be able to compete with the top teams in the country. I think [the team’s confidence] will come with a little bit more experience," said Button.
I truly believe that, even though we are such a young team. We have incredible athletes that put in the work to be able to compete with the top teams in the country. I think [the team’s confidence] will come with a little bit more experience.
Jenna Button, Marauders women's basketball team
This faith was not misplaced, as the Marauders demonstrated their capabilities in the tightly contested playoff run against the Ravens.
“They’re a great team. . .So that was obviously a huge challenge for us. Going up to Ottawa as well, it’s a tough gym to play in," said Button.
Despite the odds, the Marauders approached the game with determination.
"We were the underdogs in that game; we had nothing to lose, and we did. We frickin’ gave them a run for their money. . .We stuck with them for three quarters, and then, unfortunately, things didn’t go our way in the fourth quarter," said Button.
We were the underdogs in that game; we had nothing to lose, and we did. We frickin’ gave them a run for their money. . .We stuck with them for three quarters, and then, unfortunately, things didn’t go our way in the fourth quarter.
Jenna Button, Marauders women's basketball team
The 77-94 defeat was a mix of disappointment and pride for the team. However, the season’s overall success and 16-8 record was a testament to the team's resilience and their solid foundation for the future.
Especially in their victory against Wilfrid Laurier University and the hard-fought game against Carleton, the Marauder’s playoff performance highlighted their potential and the bright future that lies ahead.
As they continue to grow and gain more experience, their faith in their ability to compete with any team in the country only strengthens, promising thrilling seasons to come for the women's basketball team.
The Marauders wrestling team have their sights set on knocking out big name teams and capturing a prized gold again in the season to come
Last year’s wrestling season saw the McMaster University wrestling team compete at the highest level, as they took themselves to the USports championships in Edmonton. They dominated the Ontario University Athletics championship, with both the men’s and women’ teams finishing second on the podium, giving them the opportunity to compete at the national level.
The U Sports competition last year saw the team take big strides, with the men’s team earning themselves a silver medal and the women’s team picking up a bronze. Across the two teams, Karanveer Mahil won himself an individual gold medal on the men’s side. While rookie of the Year Serena Di Benedetto picked up a silver medal on the women’s side.
With these two wrestlers entering their second season of competition, the team looks to improve even further and win more this upcoming season.
“A really big goal for me this year is to return to winning OUAs and also to finally take the U Sports gold home,” said Di Benedetto.
A really big goal for me this year is to return to winning OUAs and also to finally take the U Sports gold home.
Serena Di Benedetto, athlete on women's wrestling team
The addition of strong first-year wrestlers to the roster, including Mayumi King who was previously an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations champion, adds great depth to the team. This seems to increase the team's confidence in their ability to succeed and claim a gold medal at this year’s OUA championship.
“I think we have a really good team this year. . .We have a lot of really good rookies coming in and they’re super technical and fit in well,” said Di Benedetto.
After securing the Rookie of the Year award in her last season, it may seem that Di Benedetto would struggle to continue such a dominant run of form; as other teams may have learned her weaknesses and put a target on her back. However, she finds that a strong mentality and her enjoyment of continuously improving will help this coming season.
“I find that I have to maintain what I did last year, but at the same time, I’m here to have fun and enjoy wrestling for McMaster. I don’t get too caught up in the placings, because at the end of the day, I’m just trying to get better,” said Di Benedetto.
I find that I have to maintain what I did last year, but at the same time, I’m here to have fun and enjoy wrestling for McMaster. I don’t get too caught up in the placings, because at the end of the day, I’m just trying to get better.
Serena Di Benedetto, athlete on women's wrestling team
She will hope to help lead the women’s side to greater heights this year, specifically in the OUA championship hosted in February. The team will look to knock out Brock University Badgers, who were last year’s gold medalists at the competition.
“Team wise, I really want us to knock Brock off of first place. We were really close last year... The girls’ team came second by one point and Brock has been the remaining OUA champion for a while,” said Di Benedetto.
On the men’s side, Mahil returns along with senior Howard Moffatt. Both wrestlers had great seasons, with Moffatt placing first in the OUA championships. They will return with the addition of five first-year wrestlers on the men’s roster.
The Marauders will compete in seven competitions before this year’s OUA Championship. Led by the head coach Ahmed Shamiya, both teams will hope for an even better season than the last.
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.
After a very successful season, the Marauders finish their campaign off with a bronze medal win at the U Sport national championship on their home court
After a long season full of successes and long undefeated streaks, the Marauders have ended their mesmerizing season with a bronze in the U Sports national championship in Hamilton. The journey was a long one, having played a total of 34 games this season. There have been many ups and downs, with the main highlight being the astonishing 18 game winning streak in the Ontario University Athletics regular season.
In their final game of the season, the bronze medal game, the Marauders came out on top of the University of Alberta Golden Bears in a three set sweep, which brought their first national medal in years. The podium finish would have been impressive on it’s own, but the fact that it game against the first seeded team nationally made it that much sweeter.
“For me, coming into this program and seeing it already getting done before I came here, and seeing that the legacy has been continued, it’s something that I really wanted to be a part of. It’s been a goal for us, attaining a medal in the end knowing that we had home support,” said Sam Cooper, a fourth-year veteran player on the team and 2023 championship tournament all-star.
The game was a huge one for the Marauders; not only was this game the last one of the season, and for a medal in front of a hometown McMaster crowd, but it was also Dave Preston's last game as the head coach, after an astonishing 20 season career that featured all 12 of McMaster’s provincial titles.
“Leaving with hardware is a really good feeling. Although there were expectations of the colours being a bit different, we will still take it. . .Hats off to Alberta, they’re one of the best volleyball teams in Canada and to win against them for third place is a huge achievement. To have the medal is also a great honor for me that I’ll carry for the rest of my life,” explained Preston.
The preluding semifinal ended up in a disappointing three to one loss to the Trinity Western University Spartans, which is the game that sent McMaster to the bronze medal round. Breakout star Brendan Mills did not have the best game in the semifinal, having been subbed off for the injured Maxime Gratton after two sets, and started the game against Alberta with a couple of mistakes yet again. Fortunately, Mills quickly turned around by the end of the game, becoming an x-factor in having secured their third-place finish.
“My year started with a rough patch, so this set of games was not something that I was not used to. My whole year was full of ups and downs, and I feel that near the end of the season I managed to put the pieces together. In particular, in the OUA playoffs and nationals my performances got better. Yesterday (against TWU) was not my best game. The start today was not my best either, but I managed to get it together during the game, which I feel is better than getting myself together over a longer period, so I’m happy with that,” said Mills.
The Marauders have once again had an unforgettable season. There were many highlights to behold, such as the 18-game winning streak, or the OUA semifinals and finals sweeps against York and Windsor for their eleventh title in 15 years.
Although there may be regrets over falling short of the long-awaited gold medal in the nationals, the team can be absolutely delighted with the show of character and mesmerizing display over the season.
McMaster women’s curling team wraps up yet another successful season with a win at the OUA championship, places fifth at U Sports Championships
The McMaster University women's curling team just wrapped up another impressive, and perhaps underappreciated, season. Notably, the team won the 2023 Ontario University Athletics Championships and finished fifth at the national U SPORTS Championships.
Hosted by Ontario Tech University, the OUA Curling Championships took place over Feb. 3 to Feb 5. The championships kicked off with a four-game round-robin on Friday morning followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals.
By the end of the round-robin, the Marauders had a record of three wins and one loss. McMaster went on to win against the Western University Mustangs in the quarterfinals with a score of seven to three and the Queens University Gaels in the semifinals, eight to one.
The championship game came down to a close competition between McMaster and the Laurentian University Voyageurs on Sunday afternoon. After some back-and-forth action, McMaster broke the three-to-three tie in the eighth and final end to win the 2023 OUA Championships.
The OUA title is the fourth in McMaster women’s curling program history. A few Mac athletes received recognition with Evelyn Robert named as OUA first team all-star, while Grace Lloyd and Madelyn Warriner were named OUA second team all-stars.
“We won OUAs in 2020 as well and we had a couple of returning players from that year, and we also have some really talented players that just came in for their first year. So we were really excited going into it and were pretty confident that we could do well. We put in a lot of work practicing and training off-ice as well throughout the season,” explained Warriner.
The team training schedule consists of two hours of on-ice training, dry-land training with McMaster’s high-performance centre for athletes and a weekly open league game at the Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club. Many of the athletes also play on competitive teams outside of McMaster on the weekends.
Following the OUA Championship, team headed to the U Sports Championships in Sudbury, Ontario which took place between Mar. 15 to Mar. 19. The national championships featured teams from Dalhousie University, the University of Alberta and the University of Prince Edward Island.
“It's a bit more of a surprise going into [the U Sports championship] I would say. You're not entirely sure what each specific team is going to bring to the table, but that's kind of what makes it so exciting. You don't really know what to expect and you really just focus on yourself and how you can personally prepare to be the best that you can, so that when you go into it you can perform at your top level,” said Warriner.
The Marauders played a total of seven games at the U Sports Championships. The final record was four losses and three wins against University of Victoria, University of PEI and Toronto Metropolitan University. It’s worth noting that McMaster was unable to clinch a semi-final spot against Laurentian, despite defeating the home team twice in the OUA Championships.
“They had been playing very well all week. We had seen it and it was reflected in their record — they were top of the table. So we knew going into it that we had to play really well if we wanted to beat them and they just had the edge on us that day,” explained Warriner.
“They had been playing very well all week. We had seen it and it was reflected in their record — they were top of the table. So we knew going into it that we had to play really well if we wanted to beat them and they just had the edge on us that day,”
Madelyn Warriner, McMaster Women’s Curling Skip
Ultimately, McMaster finished fifth with University of Alberta taking home the 2023 U Sports championships. However, two McMaster athletes earning All-Canadian honours with Evelyn Robert named to the All-Canadian First Team and Grace Lloyd to the All-Canadian Second Team.
Looking ahead, Warriner and the McMaster women’s curling team have two key goals. To defend their OUA Championship title and to improve on their U Sports performance next year.
Marauders men’s volleyball sweeps their way through the first round as they head into a semi-final matchup against a historically difficult opponent
Mateusz Wlodarski with the recovery, Robbie Fujisawa with the set and Thomas Williams seals the deal with a spike to secure the third and final set. It’s not just déjà vu. The closer has struck again.
After a disappointing finish to their 2021-2022 national championship run, the Marauders made sure that they would not be upset again by way of a dominant victory and sweep against the Saskatchewan Huskies. The second seeded Marauders did away with the seventh seeded Huskies with final set scores of 25-19, 25-20, and 25-20.
The Huskies immediately move into the consolation bracket, where the best result they can achieve is a fifth place finish. The Marauders will continue on into the semi-final round, where they will face off against the western powerhouse Trinity Western University Spartans. The Spartans have proven a challenge for head coach Dave Preston and co. historically speaking, having taken four of the last six matchups.
“They’re one of the premier programs in the country. . . You’re into the top of the top, there’s no ducking. This is what [fans] pay for, this is why we’re here, this is what we want to do. Are we concerned? No. Are we excited? Yeah, very,” said Preston.
“They’re one of the premier programs in the country. . . You’re into the top of the top, there’s no ducking. This is what [fans] pay for, this is why we’re here, this is what we want to do. Are we concerned? No. Are we excited? Yeah, very.”
Dave Preston, Head Coach
The major points of optimism from this game come in the form of superstar Sam Cooper, and breakout star Brendan Mills. After a concerning provincial championship game, Cooper is finally looking like himself again, finishing as the game leader in both kills, and aces. Meanwhile, Mills would continue showcasing his balanced style of play, taking home player of the game honors.
In a strong team showing overall, the game would finish in a familiar style with the closer, Thomas Williams, locking up the victory, just as he did to secure the Marauders the provincial championship one week ago. The team will look to continue their high level of play on Mar. 18 at 6:00 PM on their quest to the finals.
Marauders sweep the Lancers to become back-to-back OUA champions in front of a sold-out crowd in Burridge
The McMaster Marauders are back on top of Ontario! Following a three-set sweep of the Windsor Lancers on Mar. 11, McMaster has officially won 11 titles in the last 15 seasons. They managed to do this in front of a rare sold-out crowd on home turf in Burridge.
The match came as highly anticipated, as the Marauders and Lancers were the first and second placed teams in the Ontario University Athletics standings. The Marauders dominated throughout, winning the first two sets by considerable margins of 11 and nine, while the third and final set was more competitive with just a four point difference.
Several players stepped up for the Marauders through the course of the game, but it was outside hitter Thomas Williams who put the final nail in the coffin. Williams would secure the gold on a spike from the right side.
“It feels great – I mean, why wouldn’t it feel great? We’ve worked really hard for this. We always knew we had the potential, and we’re always grateful to be here. . . We put in the work and we just earned it in the end with the way we played,” said Williams.
Williams was one of many to step up when the team needed them, but it was Brendan Mills whose performance took the cake. Mills, a 2022-2023 breakout player, would be named the player of the game shortly after the win became official. Mills stood out as a true two way player, impacting the game on both sides by leading the team in kills and blocks.
“Awesome it got to be me tonight, but every night it’s going to be a different guy. . . The job that our middles did keeping their middle blockers out of the way for me, and left side is obviously Sam [Cooper], Mateusz [Wlodarski], Max [Gratton], everyone had a great game tonight. I put it away when it came to me, but those guys made my life super easy. It’s not about me, it’s about the team,” explained Mills.
As big a deal as a provincial title is, the mindset of the team has already shifted to the national championship tournament less than one week away. Though McMaster already secured a spot as the tournament host for the year, the provincial championship only solidified the fact that they deserve to be there.
“It’s a great win, but we’ve got to completely shift our focus. Just because we won [provincials] doesn’t mean we’re going to win nationals easily. We’ve got to focus on each game at a time and really gotta dial in, especially against the [western] teams that are usually stronger. We’ve got to change our mindset now. Celebrate while we can, but we’ve got to keep moving forward and put that work in like we did for the OUA championships,” said Williams.
"We’ve got to change our mindset now. Celebrate while we can, but we’ve got to keep moving forward and put that work in like we did for the OUA championships."
Thomas Williams, Men's Volleyball Team
Winning the OUA championship is certainly an effective way to gain momentum heading into nationals. The third ranked team nationally will still have to tread carefully however, as injury issues remain a concern.
Offensive superstars Sam Cooper and Maxime Gratton still appear to be feeling the lingering affects of their injuries, both lower body. While he is still playing well, Cooper has yet to return to the level of stardom he maintained early in the season, and Gratton is seeing extremely low usage and is still walking with a clear limp. Cooper appears healthy, but rusty, while Gratton is clearly playing through injury. Either player could be the x-factor next week.
Until then, the team has plenty to celebrate. The Forsyth Cup will remain in Hamilton another year.
For the second time in McMaster history, the U Sports MVP award will return to Hamilton
The awards continue coming for McMaster University’s women’s basketball team. Sarah Gates, who was named the provincial most valuable player award winner just one week ago, has now been named the U Sports Most Valuable Player as the best women’s player in the country.
Gates had an absolute breakout year where she finished with a stat line of 27.1 points per game on a 47.9 field goal percentage while averaging seven point six rebounds. She would also set the McMaster women’s basketball all time scoring record, and the single game scoring record over the course of the season.
Along with this honour, Gates was named to the first team All-Canadian. She was the driving force for the team on route to their 17 win and six loss record.
Despite the outstanding play from Gates, the team was only able to make it to the semi-final round of the provincial playoffs, where they were eliminated by the eventually championed Carlton Ravens. Gates put up 22 points in what would become the final game of her McMaster career, as she will be graduating at the end of the year alongside teammates Mia Spadafora, Arianne Soriano, Pietra Kamstra and Clare Sharkey.
After having led Canada in scoring, Sarah Gates has officially brought the MVP award back to McMaster
Marauders superstar Sarah Gates has just been named the Ontario University Athletics league women’s basketball MVP for the 2022-2023 season. Gates led the nation in scoring, finishing with a staggering 27.3 points per game, nearly five full points over the next leading scorer, while maintaining an efficient 48.4 field goal percentage.
Gates led the nation in scoring, finishing with a staggering 27.3 points per game, nearly five full points over the next leading scorer.
Gates becomes the first MVP winner for McMaster since Danielle Boiago in the 2016-2017 season. Boiago, now an assistant coach for the team, led the Marauders all-time in scoring until her record was broken earlier this season by Gates. Gates also set the single game scoring record this season with 47 in a game.
Arianne Soriano, a point guard for the team, also came away with some hardware after having won the Joy Bellinger Award for outstanding career contributions to OUA basketball.
The announcement comes a mere two hours prior to game time for the Marauders, who will be taking on the Carlton Ravens at 6:00 PM on Mar. 1 in Ottawa. Should Gates and the team win their game tonight, they will secure their spot in the provincial championship this weekend.
