The York University Lions football team faced a defensively tough opponent in the No. 9 nationally-ranked McMaster Marauders on Saturday afternoon and were defeated by a score of 32-2 at Ron Joyce Stadium.
 
The Marauders have one of the top defences in the OUA this season and the unit caused problems for the Lions offence throughout the game. At the other end of the field, the Lions played their own strong defence for much of the contest, holding the Marauders to just three points in the first quarter and 14 at the half. They also forced McMaster to kick four field goals inside the 20-yard line.


 
McMaster drove the field on its opening drive but the Lions stood tall in the red zone to hold the Marauders to just a field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Lions earned their lone point of the quarter on a punt into the end zone by Dante Mastrogiuseppe.
 
The Lions thought they had taken the lead early in the second quarter when Mastrogiuseppe kicked a 36-yard field goal, but a penalty negated the kick and moved the team out of his range, forcing a punt. On McMaster's next drive, Daniel Loggale intercepted a pass by Jackson White to give the Lions good field position at McMaster's 44-yard line, but they were unable to get any points off the turnover.
 
Momentum started to swing in McMaster's favour after that, with their next two drives ending in a field goal by Adam Preocanin and a touchdown by Justice Allen for a 14-1 advantage at the half.
 
Preocanin started the third quarter with a field goal and then a strange play put McMaster on the one-yard line. Preocanin was lined up for a 25-yard field goal that was tipped at the line and went wide left and returned by Alex Daley. However, Daley fumbled the ball and the Marauders recovered on the one-yard line, eventually punching it in on the next play on a rush by Jordan Lyons to make the score 24-1.
 
Preocanin kicks another two field goals in the fourth quarter to finish the day with 18 points on 5-of-6 field goals, two extra points and a rouge.
 
Lyons was named the player of the game with 181 yards rushing on 25 carries. White was 19-of-25 for 303 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
 
York starting quarterback Brett Hunchak finished the game 16-of-26 for 125 yards, and he had another 11 yards on the ground on four carries. Eric Kimmerly and Vincent Reale finished with five catches each for 52 and 44 yards, respectively.
 
On defence, Andrew Smith had a big game with nine tackles, including three for a loss, 1.5 sacks and one pass break-up.
 
The Lions will now return home for their final game of the season against the defending OUA champion Laurier Golden Hawks. Kick-off is set for 7pm on Thursday night at Alumni Field.