HAMILTON, Ont. - Coming from an undefeated home record, the women's soccer team took a slap in the face tonight when they conceded two early goals against the Windsor Lancers. But when it looked like all hope was lost, the Marauders' patience and resilience allowed them to power through to an impressive victory.

The first five minutes were a nightmare for the Marauders. The Lancers scored two back-to-back goals and then continued to push aggressively on offense, fighting for every ball. McMaster tried to respond but failed to break through Windsor's strong back line. Their luck turned at the very end of the half, when a controversial foul call gave the Marauders a penalty kick. The Windsor coach was fuming. He earned himself a red card with his angry antics, forcing him off the pitch for the rest of the game. Emilie Calabrese aimed the penalty kick perfectly, driving the ball low into the left corner of the net. 

McMaster was visibly inspired entering the second half. Goalie Ali Mudie came up big to prevent the Lancers from adding to their lead. She recorded five saves, including two back-to-back ones in the 49th minute that put a stop to a dangerous Windsor attack. The Marauders came close to scoring many times, but it wasn't until the 67th minute that they connected for the tying goal. A long, well-placed shot from Emilie Calabrese forced the Windsor goalie to make a difficult save, but forward Alena Spehar was there to bury in the rebound. With victory in sight, the Marauders continued to push forward. Alena Spehar scored McMaster's third goal in the 80th minute to finally give them the lead. After taking on three defenders and besting the goalie, she joined her teammates as they ran towards the corner flag to celebrate the exciting goal with the men's team, who were warming up for their own game. Intelligent, careful play in the final minutes allowed them to maintain the lead. 

This was the team's first big test at home, but they dealt with it extremely impressively. Their ability to keep cool under pressure will be important as they enter the playoffs next week. Their final game of the regular season is on Sunday against the Western Mustangs. A victory will give them the top seed for the playoffs and place them in a great position to win it all.