A remarkable Cinderella journey for the Marauders was halted at the final hurdle a season ago, and McMaster hopes that experience will propel them even further in 2015. The Marauders open their OUA season this weekend with home matches against the Waterloo Warriors and York Lions on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Finalists at both the OUA and CIS level, the latter coming about after a pair of remarkable shootout wins, the Marauders were thwarted in their quest for gold by the rival York Lions on both occasions last fall. But McMaster returns the lion's share of their roster as the 2015 season gets underway on Saturday, including four of their five OUA West All-Stars, and see the potential for even greater things to come.

"York had just a little more experience than us last year, and in the tough situations they were able to use that to come out on top," said Marauder head coach Dino Perri. "That's an edge that we can use this season, and hopefully when we get to those spots in the tight, close games we'll be all the better for it."

Defence should be a strength for the Marauders once again, with captain and all-star Nic Vecchi returning to anchor the backline alongside the likes of fellow all-star Aleks Vincic and veteran Abe James. They play ahead of all-star goalkeeper Angelo Cavalluzzo who is also completing his eligibility this season.

He believes that the lineup's time together — as well as their new involvement in a summer men's league this year — has made them a cohesive unit as they enter OUA play.

""The starting 11 and three or four guys beyond that have played together for at least three years now," Cavalluzzo notes. "We've got a good understanding and we played together this summer as well, so that only helped us grow closer. Guys know where they are and are moving the ball quickly."

The question surrounding the Marauders is where the team will find its goals this season, with veteran forwards Mark Reilly and Paterson Farrell having graduated in the spring. Veteran winger Gersi Xhuti — who potted 31 goals over the course of Mac's summer league play — is one obvious place to look, but Perri believes that a summer spent together has enhanced McMaster's offence team-wide.

"Having the club team over the summer allowed us to work on our offensive game in a way that we haven't been able to in the past," says Perri. "I think it's going to be more of a team approach to scoring that will make it difficult for teams to focus on one guy to take away goals. Gersi will score a handful this season, but you'll get contributions from everybody and I think that's a good thing."

The schedule presents a tough and immediate challenge for the Marauders in 2015, as they meet the York Lions twice in the span of 11 days to begin the campaign. Perri acknowledges that the quick double against York will be a litmus test for his team, but preaches the need for focus regardless of the opposition this season.

"It could be good or bad for us depending on where we're at and how we respond," Perri says of the early games against York. "But there are more teams to worry about and the OUA is a very tough league. If you're not prepared to play on any given day, you could drop points."

The Lions loom large on Sunday, but the Marauders won't take their season-opening match on Saturday afternoon lightly. Points are at a premium for any team with title aspirations, and McMaster is one such squad given their experience and near-miss status in 2014.

Come down to Ron Joyce Stadium to catch both matches free of charge this weekend, with the men's games set to start at 3:15 p.m. following the conclusion of the women's half of the doubleheader.