HAMILTON, Ont. - The Laurier Golden Hawks and McMaster Marauders battled in a tight contest that ended in late heartbreak for Laurier, echoing last season's playoff game, as the purple and gold fell 2-1.
McMaster controlled possession early, forcing Laurier into a chip-and-chase style that rarely broke through the Marauders' defence.
Goalkeeper
Mya Brodrecht kept the Golden Hawks in the game with several strong saves, including stops on shots from Megan Soo and Molly Palladino.
The breakthrough came in the 21st minute when Shalagh Guha fired from outside the 18-yard box, her shot tipping off Brodrecht's hands and into the top corner.
Laurier began to settle as the half wore on and generated more attacking zone time, but McMaster's backline stayed composed to carry the lead forward.
As play continued, Laurier found momentum.
Sasha Marikano made her season debut after an injury, helping to spark an extra push upfield.
In the 61st minute,
Ashley Greco's effort deflected off a McMaster defender and into the net to level the score.
The equalizer quickened the pace, with Laurier building structured passing plays and testing McMaster's keeper Ali Mudie from all angles.
Greco,
Kayla Merkley, and
Tamara Lisser each came close, while a leaping punch from Mudie turned away Merkley's top-corner strike.
The intensity grew, and Merkley was shown a yellow card in the 72nd minute as challenges became fiercer.
Laurier's defence, anchored by
Taya Johnson, held strong as McMaster pressed late, and Lisser had the Hawks' best chance when a free kick from just outside the box soared narrowly high.
But in stoppage time, McMaster delivered the decisive moment. Tiam Pourbakhtiaria slipped a through ball into the box for substitute Mea Martel, who calmly finished past Brodrecht to seal the win for the Marauders.
Having now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, the latest result leaves Laurier sitting in fourth in the OUA West division.
Up Next:
The Laurier Golden Hawks (3-2-3) take on the McMaster Marauders (3-3-1) at home.
Kick-off is at 1:00 pm at Ansley Alumni Field, and admission is free. Fans can also follow @WLUAthletics on X for live updates.
