One day after the McMaster Marauders football team was forced to forfeit its first two games due to a player eligibility violation, they fell to 0-3 following a 20-14 defeat against the visiting Ottawa Gee-Gees.
Ottawa raced out to a 13-0 lead in the first half Saturday afternoon thanks to a one-yard touchdown by running back J.P. Cimankinda, a 12-yard field goal by Campbell Fair, a single and a conceded safety by McMaster.
The Marauders gave the hometown crowd at Ron Joyce Stadium something to cheer about in the third quarter when quarterback Andreas Dueck tossed a nine-yard touchdown to receiver Jackson Cooling.
The Gee-Gees (2-1) restored their 13-point advantage early in the fourth quarter when Daniel Oladejo hauled in a 17-yard TD from QB Ben Maracle.
Dueck ran for a five-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in regulation but that is as close as the Marauders would get.
Maracle completed 15 of 27 pass attempts for 134 yards and a TD while Cimankinda ran 20 times for 102 yards and a major. Dueck went 28-for-41 for 248 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and he was sacked four times.
McMaster plays next on Sept. 17 in Waterloo.