Women's Rugby: Spirited Comeback Falls Short as Mac Loses OUA Semifinal 20-15 to Queen's

The Marauders failed to advance to the OUA final for the first time in four seasons Friday.

Furiously chasing a try as the clock morphed into their chief enemy, it was a case of tables turning on the biggest stage for the Marauders Friday.

Having held out against a barrage of Queen's pressure to secure a regular-season result in September, McMaster suffered the opposite fate at the OUA semifinal stage, falling 20-15 despite a spirited late comeback effort at Ron Joyce Stadium.

The result saw the Gaels advance to both the OUA final and the U SPORTS Championship tournament, while the Marauders stumbled before the conference title game for the first time in four seasons.

Queen's leading scorer, fullback Nadia Popov was the difference maker for the Gaels Friday, scoring two tries. Teammates Pippi McKay and Sophie de Goede added a try apiece in the low-scoring contest.

Three different Marauders crossed the try line, including Sara and Katie Svoboda -- whose try came in her first game back from a nearly year-long rehab stint -- and Khadija Brouillette.

First blood was drawn early at Ron Joyce Stadium, as McKay crossed the try line inside the opening three minutes to give life to the considerable travelling fan section.

For over twenty minutes, the teams prodded in search of a second opening, before Brouillette put her pace and power on display to gash through the Gaels defence on a line break and rumble all the way in for the try in the 25th minute, tying the game at 5-5.

Mac's new-found momentum was short-lived, however, as Popov returned the favour with a crippling run capped by de Goede, who rounded the corner for the try in the 30th minute to return the Gaels to pole position.

10 minutes later, Popov touched down for her first try of the night and gave her team some much-needed breathing room with another line-splitting run that curled just inside the sideline, pushing the Gaels ahead 15-5 at the halftime break.

The road to a comeback seemed steep at the interval, but Mac pounced on a rare Queen's mistake just five minutes into the second half to return to striking distance.

Seizing on an errant Gaels pass, Maddi Cohoon boosted past the Queen's line and took the Marauders within five yards of the try line. The ensuing ruck popped wide to Katie Svoboda, who bruised her way over the line to bring Mac within five points.

Once again, Queen's had a near-instant response for McMaster's aggression, as Popov broke free for her second try of the night just four minutes after Svoboda's score, restoring the Gaels 10-point cushion in style.

Mac dutifully ramped up the pressure as the half wore on, and were rewarded with just nine minutes remaining on the board, when Taylor Price successfully hauled in the line-out and the ball came to Sara Svoboda in the ensuing maul, who rode the wave over the try line to peg Queen's back yet again.

That was as close as the Marauders would come, however, and the final whistle blew when one last McMaster drive fizzled inside the Queen's half.

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