The McMaster women's soccer team opened the 2013 OUA season with a 0-0 draw against the Laurier Golden Hawks.

It was a short-handed group of Marauders that faced powerful Laurier, as the team lost one player to injury during the warm-up, and then saw stalwart defender Julia Maiolino go down in the first four minutes with a lower body injury.

Despite having to go into its bench, McMaster had the best early chance when Kelsey Orlando fired from 25-yards out and found the crossbar. Laurier almost grabbed the lead in the final minute of the opening half, but Mac keeper Brittany Duffey got a hand on a shot from Laurier's Julie Maheu and just deflected it over the bar.

The second half saw Mac's Sophia Ykema bail out her keeper by clearing a ball off the line, after Duffey was caught too far out of the net. In extra time the Hawks had a glorious chance but the ball again found the crossbar and stayed out, allowing the Marauders to gain the draw.

McMaster will next play on Sunday afternoon, September 1^st when they travel to Guelph to face the Gryphons. Game time at Guelph is 1 p.m.