For the past two seasons, the fate of the Marauder women's soccer team has essentially been out of their hands. Injuries made the prospect of competing for an OUA title almost unthinkable, and it was all the Marauders could do to claw into the playoffs.

But in 2015, McMaster features a large, healthy roster of 33 players and can reasonably hope to determine their own destiny. Unknowns abound ahead of the team's season-opening game on Saturday, but one thing head coach Brett Mosen knows is that he will have the players to keep spots in the lineup scarce and competition high.

"Last season was the first time I had ever experienced injuries like that, and you learn from your experiences," says Mosen of his large roster this season. "It's also a group of players who are worthy of a place on the roster. Rather than leave good players out, we wanted to bring them all on board and see how they develop.

"I've stressed to the girls from day one that there is no regular starting lineup — it's earned in practice. They get that, and a lot of them are from competitive clubs and are used to working to earn a spot."

Mosen is unafraid to thrust young players into the lineup immediately, even while he knows that adaptation to the CIS level will take time.

His defensive back line figures to be the most experienced area of the McMaster team, with captains Sophia Ykema and Taylor Davis each returning for their final year of eligibility. The question, if preseason results are any indication, is where the Marauders will find their goals. Davis and Ykema believe that execution up front will come with confidence as their team gels.

"Confidence will come from experience," says Davis. "It's different playing in a game that really matters, rather than an inter-squad or exhibition game where you can be more tentative. We need to get our young players into the atmosphere of the regular season.

"Hopefully, we can provide the buildup play from the back, and the younger players have the confidence to put the ball away."

The process of building that confidence begins on Saturday, with the visit of the Waterloo Warriors to Ron Joyce Stadium before a follow-up against the York Lions on Sunday. Few people will count the Marauders among their contenders as the OUA season begins, but McMaster is happy to work outside the spotlight.

"I like being in the underdog role," says Ykema. "There are teams in the OUA who won't expect much from us this season, but a lot of people forget that just a few years ago, we were in the Final Four three years running."

There is a long road ahead if the Marauders hope to recapture that sort of success. But if they can stay healthy and find the sort of cohesion needed to score consistently in the OUA, McMaster could soon see the spotlight pointed their way.