HAMILTON, Ont. -- Bending but never breaking Saturday, the Marauders weathered periods of intense pressure from the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks en route to victory in the OUA bronze medal game.
The newly-minted OUA Player of the Year, Andrew Quattrin, had a pair of tries for the Golden Hawks, but McMaster outlasted Laurier 26-19 at Back 10 Field to defend their position as OUA bronze medalists.
Four different Marauders had tries in the win, with Mike Smith, Will Redgate, Will Kelly and Jack McRogers all crossing the try line, while Kelly added three converts.
Bastien Demas-Pandraud scored the Golden Hawks third try in a losing effort, while Aidan Nesbitt made good on two of three convert attempts.
Wasting little time in drawing first blood, Quattrin busted through the Marauders line for the game's opening try in just the third minute of play, with Nesbitt producing a difficult conversion from the corner to put the visitors ahead 7-0.
McMaster responded quickly, with Smith capping a long possession with a short pick-and-go that broke into the area, and Kelly making good on the ensuing conversion to level the score in the sixth minute.
A bruising run from Tyler Gagne gave the hosts an opening 11 minutes later, and they duly took advantage, with Redgate taking the final pass over the try line to give Mac a 12-7 lead in the 17th minute.
Laurier answered through Demas in the 25th, whose unconverted try levelled the game yet again at 12.
With both sides having missed penalty goals that could have provided separation, the half looked destined to end tied, before Kelly capped a late McMaster move in the 39th and converted to give his team a 19-12 lead at the break.
The Golden Hawks produced an extended period of pressure to begin the second half, but after defended stoutly along their try line for minutes at a time, the Marauders induced an error and took possession in the 49th.
That stand proved valuable, as the home side found their fourth try of the afternoon just six minutes later, when McRogers crossed the line and Kelly converted for 26-12.
Defending behind their two-score lead, the Marauders suffered a blow 10 minutes from the final whistle, as Connor Bott was sent to the sin bin. Laurier promptly made their opponents pay for the missing man, as Quattrin broke through for his second try of the afternoon in the 72nd to ensure an anxious conclusion.
It was too little, too late for the visitors, whose last possession ended with a knock on. Laurier was left to watch helplessly as McMaster booted the ball into touch and celebrated the final whistle by storming the Back 10 pitch.
