HAMILTON, Ont. — In front of an electrifying crowd, the McMaster Marauders (1-0) shut out the Trent Excalibur (0-1) 57-0 at Ron Joyce Stadium on Saturday evening. This dominating victory marks a strong start to the Marauders' 2024 season.

Following a 2-4 record and missing the playoffs in 2023, the McMaster women's rugby team looked nothing short of promising in their season opener. Fourth-year Osa Olaye (Mississauga, Ont.) led the charge, scoring the first try of the match and adding three more for a total of four tries. Marauder kicker, Chayse Palfi (Keswick, Ont.) then executed on the conversion to push McMaster's score to seven. Palfi contributed to five of seven attempted conversions during the home opener.

Taylor Wood (Uxbridge, Ont.) broke through the Excalibur defence to score McMaster's second try in the 20th minute. Wood impressed with four tries, and her performance earned "T. Wood" chants from the crowd throughout the match. Her standout play included a remarkable run from centre field into Trent's end zone.

Freshman Verena Marsig (Stouffville, Ont.) also made her mark, scoring McMaster's fourth try to push the lead to 17-0. The team embraced each other after the commanding win, setting a positive tone for the 2024 season.

Next, the Marauders will travel to St. Catharines, Ont., to face the Brock Badgers on Saturday, September 7. The last encounter between the two teams was during the 2022 OUA quarterfinals, where McMaster fell 23-17.