GUELPH, Ont. - The Marauders finished off their season at the Guelph Curling Club this past weekend, with the women finishing second overall. Sixteen women's teams competed for the OUA title this weekend. Going in as the reigning champions, McMaster was looking to find the top of the podium and fell just short, earning silver. The maroon team qualified for the U SPORTS championship which will be hosted by the UNB Reds in Fredricton from March 12-16.

Women's Results 

Round Robin Games:

The Marauder women started their weekend against the Queen's Gaels at 9am on Friday. McMaster, led by veteran skip Madelyn Warriner, found the only point in the first end. The Gaels were keeping the score close against the reigning champions. The Marauders fell into their groove and had a strong game in the fourth to seventh ends, winning the game 6-2.

Friday afternoon, the Marauders faced off against the Trent Excalibur. The Excalibur were able to earn a 4-1 lead after the fourth end, despite a response from McMaster of one point in the fifth and sixth end. Trent was sharp on their tactics, unsettling McMaster's solid team full of second years: Evelyn Robert, Sydney Taylor, and Clara Dissanayake. Ultimately, the Excalibur found the win, 6-3.  

McMaster took on the York Lions on Saturday at 1pm, finding an easy win. Skip Warriner showed her confidence and skill in her tactics, helping the Marauders find a swift 10-1 win. 

In their final round robin game, the Marauders played the Toronto Varsity Blues at 8pm on Saturday. It was a close match, despite McMaster having a strong start. The Marauders were leading 5-1 into the sixth end, when the Varsity Blues managed to find three points in the last two ends of the game. McMaster won 5-4, finishing their round robin with a 3-1 record.  

Quarterfinals:

The Marauders were set to play against the Trent Excalibur in the quarterfinals; the only team they lost to in the round robin. McMaster relied on their veteran Warriner to be a source of stability and to lead the team with composure in this intense match. After the fourth end, the teams were tied 2-2, and stakes were high with elimination on the line. The Marauders managed to edge out the Excalibur in the last end, winning 5-3 and moving onto semifinals. 

Semifinals:

McMaster faced off against Queen's in the semifinal, after beating them in the round robin. The Marauders were up 4-0 after the third end, but Queen's started to inch their way back up with two points in the fourth end. Ultimately, McMaster won 5-3 and moved on to the finals for yet another year. 

Finals:

The Marauders were set to play the Laurentian Voyageurs for the first time this weekend in the finals. The game had a slow start, with the first end being a blank. The Voyageurs figured out a strategy that worked, finding six points by the end of the third end. Under pressure, McMaster was able to make an impressive comeback to make the score 6-4 after the fifth end. Despite their best efforts, Laurentian found a point in the sixth end, but McMaster didn't give up, earning two more points in the seventh end. The Marauders fell 7-6 in an intense final match and win themselves silver.  

Up Next

The Marauders qualify and will compete at the U SPORTS Championship for yet another year, with this year's competition being hosted by the UNB Reds from March 12-16.