The Windsor Lancers gave their home fans something to cheer about on Saturday (Sept. 13) night, notching their first win of the OUA season with a convincing 29-13 victory over the visiting McMaster Marauders.
STATS
Lancers kicker Brady Lidster set a new Windsor school record with his 63rd career field goal, giving him sole possession of first place in the all-time Lancer rankings. The fourth-year kicker converted on all five of his field goals in the contest. Quarterback Nick Dimovski threw for 172 yards and one touchdown, while Andrew Delaney led the way on the ground with 101 yards on ten carries and sealed the game with a major of his own.
McMaster was led by quarterback Luke Thalman, who ran for a team-leading 69 yards and one touchdown while throwing for 166 yards as well.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Coming off a tough Week 2 loss to the Guelph Gryphons, the Lancers entered their second straight home game sitting at 0-2, still in search of that elusive first win. Windsor wasted no time setting the tone. After winning the coin toss and electing to kick off, the Lancers defense made an immediate impact, forcing a quick McMaster fumble and turnover deep in their own territory. Despite the favorable field position, Windsor settled for an early field goal to take a 3-0 lead.The Lancers continued to build momentum midway through the first quarter. After a costly penalty against McMaster gifted Windsor a first down, quarterback Nick Dimovski capitalized with a pinpoint pass to a wide-open Brett Bjorgan in the end zone. With the extra point good, the Lancers extended their lead to 10-0. Windsor's offense maintained strong field position, holding their lead until the end of the quarter.
McMaster began to find their footing early in the second quarter. Quarterback Luke Thalman connected on several key throws to Shane Wismer, driving the Marauders into scoring range. But Windsor's defense held strong, limiting McMaster to a field goal that cut the lead to 10-3. The Lancers offense answered back with grit. A 20-yard scramble by Dimovski and a bruising run by Andrew Delaney set up another Windsor field goal, extending the lead to 13-3. A similar drive before halftime — again stalling just short of the end zone — resulted in a third field goal, sending the Lancers into the break with a 16-6 advantage.
McMaster came out firing in the second half, with Thalman finding Everett Reid for a key first down. However, the Marauders were once again limited to just three points after a 33-yard field goal, narrowing the gap to 16-6. Windsor responded, with Dimovski completing a 24-yard pass to Matteo Trifon to bring the Lancers back into the red zone. But once again, the Marauders' defense bent without breaking — and the Lancers settled for yet another field goal, making it 19-9. Late in the third quarter, McMaster finally broke through. Thalman kept it himself and found the end zone on a short rushing touchdown, closing the gap to 19-13 after the extra point. With flashbacks of last week's late-game collapse still fresh, the Windsor crowd grew tense. This time, the Lancers closed the door by methodically marching downfield and keeping the chains moving, adding another field goal for insurance. In the game's dying moments, Andrew Delaney found the end zone with a game sealing touchdown run to put the result beyond doubt.
UP NEXT
The win marks the Lancers' first of the season and a much-needed confidence boost ahead of next weekend's road game at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Ont., where they'll take on the Toronto Varsity Blues who hold a 1-3 record. The game will be streamed live on oua.tv.
