Box Score A year ago, the Marauders fought back from behind to force penalties against the UQAM Citadins, before ultimately winning the teams' semifinal match with the spot kicks. On Thursday, the script was reversed at the quarterfinal stage of the CIS Championship at York, as Mac squandered a 1-0 halftime lead and lost 4-3 in penalty kicks to crash out of medal contention.
It was a cruel end to an otherwise evenly-matched game, with McMaster getting the better of the opening half while they enjoyed the benefit of a strong wind at their backs, and struggling in the second when that gust went the way of UQAM.
Gersi Xhuti had the Marauders lone goal on the day, with the Citadins tally coming by way of the own goal. With the loss, McMaster can finish no higher than fifth at the tournament, and will await the loser of the UNB-Victoria quarterfinal in the first of two consolation semifinals on Saturday.
The two teams appeared evenly matched from the opening whistle on Thursday, with neither team enjoying the lion's share of possession or crafting many scoring chances. McMaster threatened in the 25th minute, when winger Marco Gennaccaro managed to sting the hands of the UQAM goalkeeper with a well-struck half volley.
The breakthrough finally came 12 minutes later, when Xhuti got on the end of a corner at the far post and headed strongly past the keeper and inside the post to give Mac the 1-0 lead. Holding that advantage fairly comfortably at the break, the Marauders very nearly doubled it when Aleks Vincic put head to ball in the box just before the halftime whistle.
As it stood, the Marauders seemed to be good value for their lead, but that changed dramatically in the second half, where the Citadins began to press convincingly for an equalizer. That goal came in traumatic fashion for McMaster, as a UQAM cross saw the Marauders out of sorts and ultimately forced to touch the ball into their own net in the 77th minute.
Neither team could mount much in the way of offence for the remainder of regulation, and so they headed to extra time, where the same could be said. After two largely unremarkable periods of extra time, the game was sent to penalties.
Long known for their prowess from the penalty spot, the Marauders came out on the losing end Thursday, as the Citadins converted on all four of their attempts, while Marco Gennaccaro and Kieran Doyle-Davis both missed.
