Box Score Twice pegged back after taking leads, the Marauders were left frustrated despite flashes of real offensive brilliance in a season-opening 2-2 draw against the Waterloo Warriors Saturday.

Second-year winger Jade Smith and third-year forward Maila Carboni had the goals for the Marauders on the afternoon, while Deanna Persico made two saves.

The Warriors got goals from Ainsleigh Sedore and Danielle Erb en route to a well-earned road point.

The afternoon opened brightly for the Marauders, who created two quality chances inside the opening five minutes of the contest.

With Steph Roberts and Faye Stavropoulos both marshalling the ball well in midfield, Jade Smith was able to carve out an opportunity while marauding down the left wing, while Carboni bullied her way through the middle. Both missed the mark with their shots, but the threat was clear.

Waterloo created a scare of their own in the 13th minute, when a set piece bobbled into the box and was met by a Warrior forward, who narrowly blazed the shot over the bar.

Smith's strong half continued when she lost her marker in the 16th and found herself alone in the box, but was denied by a sharp save by McDonald, who pawed the ball wide of her right post.

The second-year winger was not to be denied, however, and responded to the setback with a sensational individual effort to construct the game's first goal in the 22nd minute.

Running at the Waterloo defence yet again along the left wing, Smith carved inside with the ball on her right foot and smashed a rising shot into the far corner of the net to set the Ron Joyce Stadium crowd abuzz.

The crowd's elation was short lived, though, as the visitors levelled the match just six minutes later, when Ainsleigh Sedore managed to shrug off a would-be tackle and skip past the Marauders goalkeeper to bundle the ball home for 1-1.

Looking to retake the lead before the half, Carboni nearly accomplished as much when she turned into space and fired high in the 35th minute, forcing McDonald to be alert to the danger once again.

It was the Marauders high-energy forward who broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, as Carboni pounced on the Waterloo back line to snatch the ball, and drilled a shot low and past McDonald for 2-1.

Once again, McMaster's lead proved short-lived, as confusion at the back saw the Marauders concede cheaply.

Danielle Erb's cross from the right pinballed at the far post, last finding a Marauder before bundling into the McMaster net for 2-2 in the 68th minute.

Smith and Carboni each enjoyed a final chance of real quality, but with no breakthrough forthcoming, the match ended in a deadlock.

NEXT UP: McMaster continues its season-opening home stand with a 1:00 p.m. match against the Laurier Golden Hawks on Sunday, August 27.