The floodgates opened in the 16th minute, and once they did, the Marauders seemingly scored at will.

Gersi Xhuti had a hat-trick, and four other Marauders scored, as McMaster handed Laurier a heavy 7-1 defeat at Ron Joyce Stadium on Saturday.

Their win, in conjunction with Guelph's loss to York, moved the Marauders (8-1-2) five points clear of the Gryphons for second in the OUA West standings.

McMaster's attackers threatened goal almost immediately on Saturday, and it was little surprise when Xhuti followed his bicycle kick off the bar and slotted home on 16 minutes. Little over a minute later, he caught Laurier's defenders napping and broke in for a nearly uncontested finish to double the Marauders lead.

The quick-fire double had the Golden Hawks heads in their hands, and their task got even more diffcult just two minutes later, when Mark Reilly streaked in from the right wing and drove a low shot just inside the far post.

Calmer heads prevailed for the remainder of the half, but the damage was done, and McMaster carried a 3-0 lead into the break.

Xhuti, who had been toying with Laurier's defenders throughout, completed his hat-trick 10 minutes after play resumed, executing a textbook cutback and his shot inside the far post for 4-0.

Laurier clawed one back five minutes later, when Anastasios Sitaridis latched onto a loose ball in the Marauder box and clinically thumped it into the back of Angelo Cavalluzzo's net to deny his bid for the clean sheet.

But it was McMaster's afternoon through and through, and Karl Bicamumpaka restored the four goal advantage with a goal of his own mere moments later in the 62nd minute. Christian Truyen and Marco Gennaccaro added their names to the score sheet to put an exclamation point on Saturday's result.

There's little time to bask in the glow of their most lopsided win of the season, however, as the Marauders must regroup to battle the York Lions on Sunday. That tilt between the OUA West's top two teams at Ron Joyce Stadium will get underway at 3:15 p.m.