Hamilton, Ont. – The McMaster Marauders closed out their 2026 regular season Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought 25-17 loss to the Queen's Gaels, finishing the campaign with a 6-2 record. Trailing by 15 points at halftime, the Marauders responded with 17 second-half points, powered by two rushing touchdowns from quarterback Lucas Barresi, and remained within striking distance until the closing minutes. 

The Marauders faced an early deficit as Queen's converted three first-quarter possessions into field goals. While McMaster continued to compete on both sides of the ball, they worked to establish their offensive rhythm and looked to generate momentum. 

The Marauders found opportunities through the passing game, with Barresi connecting with receivers to move the offence downfield. Late in the second quarter, McMaster put together an 80-yard drive highlighted by several completions to Shane Wismer. A 21-yard connection between the pair moved the Marauders into Queen's territory, but the Gaels held McMaster off the scoreboard before halftime. 

McMaster responded after the break, opening the second half with a scoring drive. The offence moved into position for Michael Horvat, who connected on a 23-yard field goal with 11:45 remaining in the third quarter to put the Marauders on the board. 

The offence continued to build momentum on its next possession. A 27-yard punt return by Ben Kingston helped establish field position before Barresi connected with Nathan Denkers for 20 yards and Joel Burch for another eight. The Marauders advanced to the one-yard line, where Barresi finished the drive with a rushing touchdown. Horvat added the convert to bring McMaster within five points at 15-10 with 2:40 remaining in the third quarter. 

The Marauders entered the fourth quarter continuing to look for opportunities to close the gap. After Queen's extended its lead to 25-10, McMaster's defence delivered a key play to give the offence another chance. Ryan Broome forced a fumble that was recovered by Domenic Limanni at the Queen's 11-yard line, setting up the Marauders deep in Gaels territory. 

McMaster capitalized on the turnover three plays later. Barresi powered into the end zone for his second one-yard rushing touchdown of the afternoon, and Horvat added the convert to cut the deficit to 25-17 with 5:10 remaining. 

With the game within one score, the Marauders continued their push for an equalizer. Barresi connected with Wismer and Denkers to move McMaster across midfield before running back Micah DuChene broke free for a 31-yard gain to the Queen's 15-yard line. The gain put McMaster in position to continue its comeback bid, but the Gaels regained possession before the Marauders could find the end zone.  

McMaster looked for one final opportunity in the closing seconds, but Queen's forced three consecutive incompletions to end the Marauders' last possession. The second-half response highlighted McMaster's resilience, as the team continued to compete and create scoring opportunities through the final whistle. 

McMaster entered the regular-season finale without Sean Underhill and Isaiah Shields before losing Christian Chukwuali II to an early exit. Despite the changes to the defensive lineup, the Marauders' defence continued to generate pressure and create opportunities for the offence.  

Barresi led McMaster offensively, completing 26 of 45 passes for 259 yards while adding 27 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Wismer led the receiving corps with 12 catches for 125 yards, providing a consistent target throughout the afternoon. Denkers added eight receptions for 95 yards, while Burch contributed two catches for 24 yards. 

DuChene led the Marauders' ground game with 52 yards on 11 carries, averaging 4.7 yards per attempt. Barresi accounted for both of McMaster's touchdowns, while Horvat connected on his lone field-goal attempt and converted both extra-point attempts to finish with five points. 

Defensively, Anthony Sestanovic led McMaster with 7.5 total tackles. Jaden Briscoe recorded two sacks for a loss of 22 yards, while Broome added a sack and forced fumble. Limanni's recovery set up McMaster's fourth-quarter touchdown, helping the Marauders remain within striking distance.  

McMaster finished with 340 yards of total offence and 23 first downs, compared to Queen's 372 yards and 17 first downs. The Marauders recorded 259 passing yards and 81 rushing yards, while the defence contributed three sacks and forced two fumbles.  

The regular season may be complete, but the Marauders' campaign continues. Finishing the year with a 6-2 record, the team now turns its attention to the postseason. McMaster will host the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the first round of the OUA playoffs on Saturday, October 31, at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., as McMaster begins its playoff run on home turf.