Unfazed by earlier misses, Stephanie Black proved to be McMaster's hero on Thursday, draining a penalty goal on the final play of the game to send the Marauders to victory over their fierce rival the Gryphons in dramatic fashion.
Black had missed an earlier penalty, and the Marauders as a team had been 0-2 in those situations on the afternoon. But after her team's sure hands and solid passing set her up at a short and tight angle, the veteran made good on her final attempt as McMaster defeated Guelph 15-13 in their opening game of pool play at the CIS Championship.
It was McMaster's second victory over Guelph in the past week, as the two sides colliding in the OUA title game at Ron Joyce Stadium on Saturday, with the Marauders coming out on top 19-10.
Much like that matchup days earlier, Thursday's game was a tightly-fought and defensive affair, with just three tries scored between the two teams. Kailyn Jones and Sara Svoboda, who was named as McMaster's player of the game, had tries for McMaster, while Rita Charest-Pekeski touched down for Guelph's only try.
The Marauders win ensures them a day of rest, as they return to action on Saturday when they take on the RSEQ champion Ottawa Gee-Gees.
McMaster drew first blood on Thursday, when winger Kailyn Jones found a soft spot in Guelph's defence to dash through the middle and touch down for the game's opening try in the 20th minute. Black's first kicking attempt for the convert was no good, and McMaster led 5-0 early.
But the Gryphons responded strongly in the next 10 minutes, and leapfrogged their visitors when Rita Charest-Pekeski followed an Alex King penalty with a try, and King converted to give Guelph a 10-5 advantage that the home side carried into the break.
For 20 minutes of the second half the two teams probed unsuccessfully for a score that would swing the match, until Svoboda found an opening to push McMaster ahead. The Marauders ground their way downfield, and after swinging the ball across the field, the eight came open through the middle and slashed across the end line for McMaster's second try. Black's convert was good, and gave McMaster a 12-10 lead.
A glorious chance for McMaster to put the game beyond reach came and passed minutes later, when prop Colleen Irowa appeared to be on her way to the Marauders third try before being hit inches shy of the goal line and seeing the ball pop loose and return to the Gryphons.
Instead, the home side retook the lead when King banged through another penalty from dead centre and short range with five minutes to play.
The situation was dire for the visitors, with mere minutes to play and a defensively daunting opponent in front of them. But the Marauders went to work immediately, pinning the Gryphons deep and retaining possession as they searched for a game-winning moment of inspiration.
Svoboda attempted a deep penalty that would have put McMaster ahead, but it fizzed low of the uprights. A second penalty chance came the Marauders way, however, with the referee ready to blow an end to play.
This time, Black was steady, and calmly slotted the kick through the uprights as her teammates celebrated the completed comeback.
