Marauders move to 7-0 as Crapigna sets new CIS record
Tyler Crapigna of Nepean, Ont., hit four field goals to become the CIS all-time leader as the No. 3 McMaster Marauders beat the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 27-10 on Saturday at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton.
Tyler Crapigna of Nepean, Ont., hit four field goals to become the CIS all-time leader as the No. 3 McMaster Marauders beat the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 27-10 on Saturday at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton.
Crapigna's record field goal came with 7:54 remaining in the game on a 41-yard attempt. He now has 83 career field goals with one game to play in the regular season. Earlier in the game he tied Sherbrooke's William Dion (2008-12) when he kicked an 18-yard kick as time expired in the first half.
"This [record] is just a testament to our success and our rhythm that we've stayed in all this time. It feels great but everyone has contributed to this today," said Crapigna after the game. "I've been trying not to think about this, but it's nice to get it over with so we can focus on the playoffs and have a long run."
His record setting kick also set a new OUA single season record for most field goals in a season with 23. The old OUA single-season standard of 22 was shared by McMaster's Michael Ray (2003) and Western's Lirim Hajrullahu (2013).
Crapigna only held the OUA season record by himself for about an hour however, as Guelph's Daniel Ferraro of Mississauga, Ont., kicked four field goals of his own on Saturday in a win against Western and also sits at 23 in 2014 with one game remaining on the Gryphons' schedule.
The win for McMaster (7-0) combined with the 21-18 win by Carleton (4-3) over Windsor (5-2) also secured first place overall and a first round-bye in the OUA playoffs.
McMaster's Marshal Ferguson of Kingston, Ont., tossed two touchdowns and collected 264 yards passing while his Laurier counterpart James Fracas of Waterloo, Ont., threw for one touchdown, three interceptions and 117 yards.
CIS leading rusher Dillon Campbell of Whitby, Ont., was the game's top rusher posting 123 yards on 22 carries. McMaster's Chris Pezzetta notched 100 yards rushing posting a team high 116 yards.
Marauder Steven Ventresca of Hamilton recorded two of the interceptions and his second gave him 17 for his career breaking the school record of 16 previously set by Jesse Card (2002-2006).
Laurier jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the game when Greg Nyhof of Georgetown, Ont. caught a 12-yard pass from Fracas at 10:57 of the opening quarter. Crapigna's first two kicks put the Marauders within striking distance at 7-6.
McMaster took the lead for good mid-way through the second quarter after Daniel Vandervoort of Burlington, Ont., caught a 48-yard pass from Marshall Ferguson of Kingston, Ont. putting the score 13-7. Later Ferguson connected with Dahlin Brooks of Kitchener, Ont., on a six-yard pass for the other major in the game.
NOTES: Crapigna will have one last chance to add to his record totals – and a shot at the CIS single-season record - next Saturday Marauders wrap up league play at Ottawa…With 15 points on the day, Crapigna also moved to third place on the CIS career scoring list with 400 points, trailing only Hajrullahu, who tallied 422 points for Western from 2009 to 2013, and former Ottawa running back and kicker Neil Lumsden, a recent Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee who had 410 for the Gee-Gees from 1972 to 1975.
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Laurier | McMaster |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 117 | 264 |
| Rushing Yards | 144 | 159 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 23:08 | 32:15 |
