Riot Clinch Home Playoff Showdown Against Valkyries

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The Regina Riot closed out their regular season this past Sunday with a road trip to Manitoba to challenge the hometown Winnipeg Wolfpack. A win for the Riot would clinch first place in the WWCFL’s Prairie Conference, and lock in home field advantage for that all important playoff game with the Saskatoon Valkyries. And win is exactly what the Riot did.

“It was important for us to play well in Winnipeg, which we accomplished” said Head Coach Olivier Eddie following the 35-0 performance. It was another fast start for the Riot offense, who ended their opening drive with a big touchdown run by Carmen Agar. The Riot took a 23-0 lead into the half, and added another 12 points in the second half before completing the defense’s third shutout of the season.

While it was exciting for the Riot to lock in another home game for their schedule, there was not much time for celebration. “We are quickly turning our attention to the playoff game this weekend,” said Eddie. “Having the chance to play on our home field is a great advantage, and we know that we will have great support in the stands. It’s going to be an exciting game.”

While home field advantage does play into the Riot’s hands this weekend, neither team was able to successfully defend their home turf against the other during the regular season. The home-and-home series was split 1-1 between the two rivals, with the Riot shutting down the Valkyries offense in Saskatoon and the Valkyries responding with a last minute victory in Regina just two weeks ago. The third meeting will not only be the rubber match between these two provincial rivals this season, but it will also catapult one of these teams towards the WWCFL Championship Game.

Despite the pressure, Eddie remains confident. “Everything we have worked for as a team since January leads to this weekend. Our athletes are motivated and prepared. We will be ready for June 4th.”

The game takes place on Sunday, June 4th at Historic Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1pm. Tickets are available online at the Regina Riot website.

Riot Lose In Home Heartbreaker

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Following a hard-fought road victory on May 13th, the Regina Riot played host to the visiting Saskatoon Valkyries last Sunday in the back half of a home-and-home series. It was the Riot’s 3rd Annual Teal Game in support of the Ovarian Cancer Society, a sponsorship that the Riot is very happy to be part of.

“We are extremely proud to have been able to work with the OCC team to bring awareness to the cause of ovarian cancer,” said first year Head Coach Olivier Eddie. The game ended up raising $1,750 in support of the cause.

An evening kickoff of 7:30pm meant that the lights at Historic Mosaic Stadium got to be fired up for game action one more time, something that I’m sure gave more than a few fans in attendance a slight chill (though that may have just been the breeze).

The game, like all games played between these two teams over the past few seasons, was a tightly contested affair. The Riot took a lead early in the first quarter, and did their best not to relinquish it for the remainder of the game. The strategy proved to be successful, right up until there were only 7 seconds remaining on the clock. It was at that point that the Valkyries scored their second touchdown of the game, giving the road team the 20-17 lead and ultimately the victory.

“I have to give it to them; they found a way to hang in there and get 10 points in the 4th quarter to win the game,” said Eddie after the game. “Thankfully for us, we won the plus-minus battle for the season and will keep hold of 1st place in our conference.”

That first place conference standing means that the Riot are the favourites to host a home playoff game, which would be taking place on June 4th. Before they can begin preparing for the postseason, however, the Riot need to set their sights on their regular season finale this weekend in Winnipeg.

“We need a win this weekend in Winnipeg to secure a home playoff game,” explained Eddie. “It’s been one of our goals since the beginning of the season to host this playoff game, and right now we’re one win away from doing so. I think our athletes will be ready to go and fight for it, and I’m optimistic about our chances of locking this up.”

This week’s matchup takes place on Sunday, May 28th at Nomads Field against the host Winnipeg Wolfpack. The game kicks off at 2:00pm Regina time. Be sure to follow @ReginaRiot on Twitter for live game coverage.

RIOT SHUT OUT VALKYRIES IN FIRST MEETING

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It was a cold evening in Saskatoon on Saturday, May 13th, but the action on the field was red hot as the Regina Riot took on the defending WWCFL champion Saskatoon Valkyries. It was the first of two meetings this season between the rivals, a series that could decide home-field advantage in the WWCFL playoffs.

It was a tightly contested game throughout, but in the end Regina came home with a 16-0 shut out victory. It was the first time in league history that the Saskatoon Valkyries finished a game without scoring a single point. It was the second straight shut out that Regina has recorded this season.

“The defense focuses on playing with confidence and being well prepared,” said Riot defensive coordinator Morgan Bunce. “The players made big plays when it counted most. The effort on and off the field this past week really shows the player’s dedication to the team.”

Head Coach Olivier Eddie gave some perspective on the Riot’s offensive performance, noting that the team gained over 400 yards on that side of the ball. “You expect to produce more than 16 points when you do that,” said Eddie. “We made a couple of crucial mistakes in the red zone that allowed them to stay in the game. We have to do a better job of capitalizing and taking the pressure off of our defense.”

With the victory, the Riot have taken a 4-2 series lead over their last 6 matchups with the Valkyries, further solidifying the Riot’s entry into the elite of Canadian women’s tackle football. The rematch takes place next week in Regina, but home field advantage provides no guarantees.

“Neither Saskatoon nor Regina has swept the home and home series since 2014” said Coach Eddie after the game. “That’s how evenly matched these two teams are.”

When asked what the key is to changing that trend, the head coach emphasized avoiding complacency. Bunce added, “We know each week will be a greater test than the week before. We’ll adjust our game plan to correct any issues and continue to work on building our fundamental techniques.”

The rematch takes places on Sunday, May 21st at Historic Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:30pm. It is the Riot’s 3rd Annual Teal Game, in support of the Ovarian Cancer Society. Tickets are available online at the Regina Riot website.

Riot Roll Past Fearless, Look Towards Valkyries Double-Header

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May 7th has come and gone, and with it another season of Regina Riot football has officially gotten under way. Let’s take a look back at what happened last weekend, as well as look forward at what challenges face the Riot over the upcoming weeks.

 

WEEK 1 RECAP

The Riot kicked off the regular season at home this past Sunday, when the visiting Manitoba Fearless visited Historic Mosaic Stadium. It was great day for football (they all are, aren’t they?) with a bit of wind being the only possible complaint. The Riot matched these great conditions with an even better performance, defeating the Fearless by a score of 41-0.

The day’s events began with a special tribute to Paige Mitchell, a former Riot player who passed away suddenly in the fall of 2016. In honour of her memory, team members who played with Paige presented the Mitchell family with Paige’s former game jersey. It was also announced that Paige’s #79 will be retired by the Riot going forward. It was a touching tribute, which also included a musical performance of one Paige’s favourite songs, “Hey Jude”.

Following the pre-game ceremony, the Riot took to the field for the first time in their new uniforms. Adding to the excitement of the new jerseys was the home crowd. “It was great for us to get out there and play in front of our home fans for the first time this year” said Head Coach Olivier Eddie following the game. “Seeing how large the crowd was and how involved they were with the game was a great positive for us. It means a lot to our athletes to see this kind of community support.”

It didn’t take long after the opening kickoff for the Riot to take the lead, one which they wouldn’t relinquish for the duration of the contest. “We started off very explosively and put points on the board fast” said Eddie. “It helped us control the game from the onset.”

Particularly impressive was the Riot defense, who posted a shutout in the victory. “We were relentless and really got after their Quarterback” said the first year Head Coach. “This allowed us to snag four interceptions. Anytime you play defense like that, good things are bound to happen.”

 

WEEK 2 PREVIEW

Next on the docket for the Riot is a trip to Saskatoon on Saturday, May 13th to challenge the defending WWCFL champion Saskatoon Valkyries. This is the first in a back-to-back series with the Riot’s fiercest rival, as the series will return to Regina for a rematch on Sunday, May 21st.

The Valkyries and Riot have become the premier western Canadian women’s football teams over the years, with Saskatoon in particular earning five WWCFL championships since the league’s inception. The Riot, meanwhile, have shown steady improvement over the past number of years, on the way to putting together their own championship season in 2015. Despite the disparity in championships, the series has been more even as of late, with a 3-3 split between the two teams over the past three seasons.

The Riot recognizes that these games with the Valkyries are important in playoff seeding, and plan to prepare accordingly. “We have a short week of practice this week, so it will be important for us to be diligent in order to be prepared for Saturday night.”

The action starts this Saturday, May 13th in Saskatoon at SMF Field. Kickoff time for the game is at 7:00pm.

Week 1 Preview

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After 10 long months, which have included a grueling training camp and a pre-season road trip, it has finally arrived. The Regina Riot will open their regular season this Sunday afternoon at Historic Mosaic Stadium when the visiting Manitoba Fearless come to town. Let’s take a little look at how we got here:

 

TRAINING CAMP

After months of offseason training, the Riot finally took the field for training camp on April 19th. Practicing for four days at Historic Mosaic Stadium, this was the first opportunity for the team to get the pads on and participate in some full contact drills.

“We had a very successful training camp, where veterans and rookies alike got a chance to scrimmage and show off their skills” said first year Head Coach Olivier Eddie. “The staff is pleased with the progress of the team so far. It was exciting to see a second year player like receiver Kyla Krenbrick take what she learned last year and have an explosive camp.” Eddie noted that defensive lineman Ashleigh Henrion also put together strong camp.

Perhaps the most important news coming out of training camp, however, was the lack of injuries. “Anytime that you’re able to get through camp without any injuries, that starts the season on a positive note.”

 

PRESEASON GAME

On Saturday, April 29th, the Regina Riot travelled to Brandon, MB to play a neutral field pre-season game against their Week 1 opponent, the Manitoba Fearless. The final result of the game saw the Riot walking away with a 55-7 victory.

“The Fearless were great hosts to us in Brandon” said Coach Olivier. “It was an excellent opportunity for the staff to evaluate players, and we were generally pleased with what we saw.”

Mallory Starkey and Chantal Vogel, both returners to the team this year, contributed on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, respectively. Speaking about the two, Olivier mentioned how important he thought it was that they set the tone early. “We’re expecting the same thing from them next weekend in the home opener.”

 

HOME OPENER

And so, we’ve arrived at the regular season. While fans look forward to the opening kickoff of every Riot season, this year does bring a little extra excitement. And a lot of that excitement is surrounding the team’s new uniforms.

“The jerseys look great” confessed the Head Coach. “And as cliché as it sounds, I think looking good is going to help the team perform at a higher level.” Explaining his comments further, Eddie went on to say, “The jerseys are sleek and comfortable. There won’t be any more dragging our players down by the stretch of our jerseys. These are the real deal.”

But it’s not all about the jerseys. Eddie believes the team is ready for regular season action. “We’re having a good week of practice, and our athletes are confident going into the home opener. Our staff has been putting in a lot of hard work as well, and I’m exciting for it all to be put on full display this weekend.”

It all happens this Sunday afternoon at Historic Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff between the Riot and the visiting Manitoba Fearless will happen at 1:00pm, but if you’re planning on attending make sure to arrive early for the special pre-game ceremony, which will include the unveiling of the new uniforms.

Tickets for the game are available online at our website or at the door.