McMaster's curlers finished first among OUA teams – and fourth overall – as the Marauders narrowly missed the semifinals at the CIS/CCA University Curling Championships held between March 20-24.

Ginger Coyle's rink finished with a record of 3-4 in national pool play, in only the second year of McMaster's young program.

The Marauders pushed the eventual finalists from Alberta to the brink on Day 1 of the competition, as the Pandas required an extra end to hand McMaster its first loss by a score of 9-8. Coyle's group bounced back immediately with an afternoon win in its second draw against the host Thompson Rivers WolfPack, handily beating the Kamloops team 6-1.

The up-and-down tournament continued on Day 2, where McMaster first encountered the eventual champion Manitoba Bisons. In a tight encounter that required a tenth end, Manitoba rode a four-point third and three-point eighth end to a 10-8 victory. But, much as they had the day before, the Marauders followed that setback with a triumph in their later draw.

McMaster outlasted the UPEI Panthers over the course of ten ends, after building an early 6-1 lead, to notch a 7-6 win and level its pool record at 2-2 heading into Day 3.

There, the Marauders produced a result that they could be proud of, dismissing the OUA champion Western Mustangs in just seven ends after posting four points in the seventh. McMaster's sixth draw was a crucial one, with the opportunity to gain some separation in third place with a win over the Guelph Gryphons.

Coyle's rink had bettered the Gryphons in the OUA semifinals – en route to a conference silver medal – but Guelph would have its revenge on Day 3 of the national championships. The Gryphons rode a quick start to a 9-6 win to once again even the Marauders' record at 3-3 with one draw to play.

In that final seventh and final draw, McMaster needed a win to force a tiebreaker with the Saint Mary's Huskies, but dropped a heartbreaking decision to the Huskies in the tenth end, when Saint Mary's stole one to eke out an 8-7 win.

It was a disappointing end to what was otherwise an encouraging tournament for McMaster's curling program, as it continues to make strides toward national contention.