FREDRICTON, NB – McMaster's women's curling team placed fifth at the U SPORTS Championships this past week after going 3-4 in the tournament hosted by the UNB Reds. They matched their performance last year, where they also earned fifth place nationally.
The Marauders played seven matches over five days, where they defeated the Mount Allison Mounties, Laurentian Voyageurs, and UNB Reds. They lost four games, falling to the Waterloo Warriors, Dalhousie Tigers, Alberta Pandas, and the Victoria Vikes. McMaster fell one game short of qualifying for the semifinals but continues to gain valuable experience at the U SPORTS level.
McMaster women's curling is on the rise and will continue to be one to watch on the national stage. Their three second years, Clara Dissanayake, Evelyn Robert, and Sydney Taylor, have gained invaluable experience early in their university careers that will surely benefit them in the coming years.
McMaster's Results
Day #1: March 12th
The Marauders opened their championship week against the Waterloo Warriors, where they lost in a tight 12-9 match. The OUA teams kept the score close, going into the last end with the Warriors up 10-9, but the Marauders kept the score within reach. Unfortunately, Waterloo managed to get two more points in the last end, winning 12-9. Robert led McMaster in the game with a 79% shooting percentage.
Day #2: March 13th
McMaster played their second match against the Mount Allison Mounties at 8:30am, where they won 7-4. Third year Anastasia Cornea from Moose Jaw, Sask., had the highest shooting percentage in the game at 89%. Their next match was at 4:30pm, where they got the opportunity to seek redemption against the Laurentian Voyageurs. The Voyageurs defeated the Marauders earlier in February at the OUA final, claiming the title while McMaster won silver. The Marauders showed composure and skill, defeating Laurentian 10-3 in eight ends. Veteran skip Madelyn Warriner had an impressive shooting percentage of 90%, the highest in the match. At the end of Day #2, the Marauders were placed in third out of the eight teams with their 2-1 record.
Day #3: March 14th
The Marauders started Day #3 with a 2-1 record and were hoping to pick up two more wins from two AUS schools. They faced off against the UNB Reds at 8:30am, where the Marauders won in a close 8-6 match. In the afternoon, they played against the Dalhousie Tigers and lost in a tough 8-5 match. They finished Day #3 with a 3-2 record knowing that they had two more round robin games to play on Day #4.
Day #4: March 15th
Day #4 started with a game against the Alberta Pandas, where the Pandas barely edged out the Marauders 10-8. McMaster was leading 7-6 going into the ninth end, but the Pandas managed to earn four points in the ninth end, overturning the score. Cornea held an 83% shooting percentage, the highest in the game. The Marauders played in their last game of the day at 8:30pm against the Victoria Vikes, where they needed to find a win to qualify for the U SPORTS Semifinals. McMaster started out in the lead, finding a 2-1 lead going into the fifth end. The teams kept the score close, with the Marauders still holding a small 5-4 lead going into the ninth end. Unfortunately, the Vikes earned three points in the last two ends to put the score at 7-5, ultimately ending McMaster's season.
The Marauders' program has made great strides in recent years with head coach John Gregory, as the team gains their footing and makes their mark known at the university national level.
Full Results Linked Here: https://www.curling.ca/scoreboard/#!/competitions/8757
U SPORTS Championship: Women's Curling Results
1. Alberta Pandas
2. UNB Reds
3. Waterloo Warriors
4. Dalhousie Tigers
5. McMaster Marauders
6. Laurentian Voyageurs
7. Victoria Vikes
8. Mount Allison Mounties
