LONDON, Ont. - The purple and white season came to an end on Sunday afternoon, as the McMaster Marauders defeated the Mustangs 25-7 to capture OUA bronze medal at Alumni Field.
 
It was a rematch for Western and Mac, with the two teams having competed for the bronze medal last season on Western's home turf. Last year, Western was victorious, but this year McMaster came out on top.
 
Mitchell Richardson, Michael Smith, and Michael Waldock each picked up a try for the Marauders, with OUA Rookie of the Year, Will Kelly, backing them up with consistent kicks. For the Mustangs, OUA All-Star Glen Thomson-Bullock scored the only major, with Mark Denton adding another two points.
 
McMaster dominated for most of the game, repeatedly finding holes in the Western defence.
 
"It's been a big strength for us all season but today we just couldn't come through," noted fourth-year Cole Sopik on Western's defensive play. "They knew exactly what we were trying to do, they played very strategically on defence. We should have paid attention to their defensive structure and how we could attack a bit better."
 
The Marauders defence kept Western off of the scoreboard for most of the game, leading 25-0 late into the second half.
 
Despite the Marauder lead, Western refused to give up.
 
"We were down 25-0. To come back and score at the end I think says a lot about our team, a lot about our coaching, and about our perseverance," commented Sopik.
 
Thompson-Bullock's try in the last few minutes of play put the Mustangs on the scoreboard for the first time all game, and a successful convert from Denton brought the final score to 25-7.
 
Though they could not catch up to McMaster on the scoresheet, Western's perseverance and steadfastness throughout the game is a testament to the team.
 
"Today I think we showed that we are a team that plays the full 80 minutes, that's something that our coaches have told us and really engraved in us from the very beginning of training camp, to always give it 100 percent right until the very end," said captain Mitchell Rothman.
 
Despite the loss both Rothman and Sopik remain positive about the future of Mustangs men's rugby, with both standouts graduating at the end of this season.
 
"To see the talent coming up for the future generations of this program, it's a great thing to see," noted Rothman. "People like Will Sauder, a first-year […] I think he's going to be great for our program moving forward," commented Rothman.