They fell behind against the run of play in the opening half, but the Marauders continued to press in the second and were rewarded for their efforts with a point Saturday.

Jade Smith struck in the 56th minute to level the game at a goal apiece, as McMaster drew its second straight with a 1-1 decision against the Waterloo Warriors at Ron Joyce Stadium.

With the result, the Marauders moved to 6-3-5 on the season and sit fourth in the OUA West division with just two games to play before the onset of the conference playoffs.

The Marauders fired 10 shots at the Waterloo goal Saturday and controlled play for long stretches, but struggled to finish their chances for much of the encounter.

Punished for that inability in the final third, McMaster fell behind in the 38th minute when Waterloo's Ciara Dunne polished off a pass in the box from close range.

The 1-0 deficit held through the halftime break, until the Marauders produced an incisive counter-attack in the 56th minute to find the equalizer.

Smith raced clear of her marker along the left wing, with a pair of teammates alongside her drawing attention from defenders and the Waterloo goalkeeper alike, and finished the move herself by slotting into the far side netting for 1-1.

The teams traded chances for the remainder of the game but without a further breakthrough, and split the points on the afternoon.

NEXT UP: McMaster concludes the regular season with a trip to Sault Ste. Marie, where the Marauders face the Algoma Thunderbirds in a pair of 1:00 p.m. contests on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21.