Box Score Well in control from the opening whistle, the Marauders comfortably cleared their first challenge of the OUA playoffs on Wednesday, shutting out the Laurier Golden Hawks 2-0.

Gersi Xhuti and Yunus Mollayev had goals for the Marauders, who advance to the OUA quarterfinal stage, where they face a rematch with the Windsor Lancers on Sunday, November 1.

After a series of near misses in the early going, Xhuti opened the scoring for McMaster in the 22nd minute, providing the finishing touch from close range on a ball that careened through the Laurier box and off several players on its way into goal.

The home side kept its foot on the collective gas pedal, and Mollayev doubled the Marauders lead ten minutes later by executing a difficult header, getting down low to knock the ball past the Laurier goalkeeper at the far post.

That was all the offence that the Marauders would need on Wednesday, and they comfortably saw out the victory by playing the Hawks to a scoreless and largely unremarkable second half.

One playoff win to the good, McMaster will now look to gain a measure of revenge against the Lancers in Windsor, where they dropped a regular-season matchup earlier in the fall.