Box Score A draw seemed the fair result on Sunday, as the Marauders came away with a point from an evenly-contested, scoreless match against the York Lions in Toronto.
McMaster goalkeeper Angelo Cavalluzzo played the starring role in the draw, making eight saves to preserve the clean sheet, none more important than a denied spot kick in the 59th minute. His counterpart Colm Vance was similarly strong on Sunday, stopping six Marauder shots.
The two loaded rosters provided entertaining, high-level soccer from the opening whistle, with each probing for a goal throughout the first half. McMaster worked methodically through the middle of the park, making use of Mark Reilly as the point man up front. In stark contrast, the Lions repeatedly moved the ball to the flanks, pushing the ball through midfielder Jonathan Lao and striker Joey Cicchillo.
With sustained pressure for several minutes, the Marauders saw several scoring chances pass them by in the first 20 minutes. After Paterson Farrell guided a glancing header just wide of the far post on a corner kick, Reilly accelerated through a one-on-one and drove a shot across the face of goal and wide.
A quality chance fell to the Lions in the 30th minute, when a loose ball fell to Cicchillo at the edge of the box, but his tame effort was easily scooped up by Angelo Cavalluzzo in the McMaster goal.
Despite the open play, neither team was able to find the decisive opening in the first 45 minutes, and the sides headed to the dressing rooms scoreless at the interval.
It was the home side that came out the stronger to begin the second half, and Joey Cicchillo saw a quality scoring chance go begging just two minutes in, when he wildly misfired on an open shot in the box. The striker was the centre of attention 12 minutes later, when he collapsed under the challenge of Marauder defender Tong Li and drew both a yellow card and a penalty shot in the process.
Lao stepped up to take the spot kick, but Cavalluzzo guessed correctly between the posts, diving to his right to knock the effort aside and then rushing out to stuff the shot on the rebound.
York was getting the better of play as the half wore on, and Lao had another glorious opportunity to score in the 82nd minute, but curled his low shot just wide of the far post.
Despite being outplayed for much of the half, the Marauders had perhaps the half's best chance in the final minutes. Gersi Xhuti was sent in with a strike partner beside him, but his squared pass was just a touch too soft, and Vance closed down the shot. The rebound skidded to Karl Bicamumpaka, who attempted to catch the recovering Vance off his line, but narrowly missed the far post from long range.
That stood as the final chance of the match, and the teams split the points in a closely-fought match.
McMaster returns to action on Saturday, September 6, when they welcome the Guelph Gryphons to Ron Joyce Stadium for their home opener.
