The No. 1 University of Toronto Varsity Blues fell to the McMaster Marauders 1-0 (5-4 sudden death penalty kicks) in the OUA championship game on Sunday, November 8 at Varsity Centre.

Toronto’s seventh shooter, Darragh McGee, sent his shot high over the crossbar, ending the three-hour match and giving McMaster their first OUA title since 1992 in a 1-0 victory.

Third-year midfielder Anthony Costa (Stoney Creek, Ont.) had four shots and was named the Marauders’ player of the game, while goalkeeper John Smits earned player of the game honours for the Blues with nine saves on the day.

Both teams came out ready to go and eager to play. Monkgogi Moseki (Hamilton, Ont.) set the tone as he put Smits (Mississauga, Ont.) to work early, recording the first shot of the game in the 3rd minute.

Similarly, Toronto midfielder Geoffrey Borgmann (Dixie, Ont.) kept Grant on his toes, as he sent a hard shot toward the bottom right corner of the net that was denied in the 7th minute.

U of T looked like they were going to score as Alex Raphael (East York, Ont.) found himself all alone with Grant, however and offside call was made before the fourth-year striker could find the back of the net.

McMaster also was close to opening the scoring in the 25th minute when an Aaron Boothe (Whitby, Ont.) corner kick found its way to the front of the six-yard box but Smits was there to turn away the well-placed kick and keep the game deadlocked.

The Marauders continued to press but Blues defenders Yannis Gianniotis (Toronto) and Darragh McGreee (Donegral, Ireland) stood tall as the game remained tied 0-0 at the half.

McMaster held the play for the first 15 minutes of the second half and it wasn’t until third-year Blues midfielder Scott Nesbitt (Scarborough, Ont.) sent a booming shot just over the top of the net that got Toronto back in the game.

Chinomnso Nwamadi (Brampton, Ont.) nearly got the Marauders on the board as his shot hit the cross bar in the 69th minute. McMaster continued to pressure in Toronto’s end but Smits was there every step of the way, keeping the game scoreless.

For the fourth time in as many games at the OUA men’s soccer championship, the game would go into overtime and be decided by penalty kicks.

After the first five penalty kicks, both teams had scored three times. McMaster’s Reilly knocked in the first sudden-death shot with Blues Borgmann countering. Kyle Grootenboer (Brantford, Ont.) would also score for the Marauders, forcing Toronto’s hand. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be for McGee, who sent his shot high and wide left.

Earlier in the day, the Western Mustangs defeated the Carleton Ravens 1-0 to claim the OUA bronze medal. Mustangs goalkeeper Andrew Murdoch (Burlington, Ont. ) came up with a big save on Carleton’s Halid Sefic (Burlington, Ont.) to secure the 3-2 shootout victory.