RIOT & VALKYRIES: A RIVALRY RETROSPECTIVE

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In 2011, the football rivalry between Saskatoon and Regina saw a new addition with the formation of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League and two of it’s founding teams: the Regina Riot and the Saskatoon Valkyries.

Things started off as you might expect based on the recent football history of the two cities, with Saskatoon taking an early advantage in the rivalry. Eight year Regina Riot veteran Trisha Jattansingh explains:

“The Valkyries came into the WWCFL already a powerhouse. They were miles ahead of any other team in the league. I remember the first game we played against them, we were beaten 62 – 2. I still remember that feeling.”

It was like this a lot over the ensuing seasons, as the Valkyries racked up four consecutive WWCFL Championships. The Riot eventually improved to the point of being able to beat their provincial rivals occasionally during the regular season, but never when it mattered.

That changed in 2015.

“Beating the Valkyries to advance to the WWCFL Championship in 2015 was a really great moment” recalls Riot Head Coach Olivier Eddie. “The Valkyries were almost able to execute an incredible comeback, but we were able to drive down the field and kick a game-winning field goal with seconds remaining.”

This victory seemed to signal a turning point in the rivalry between the two teams. Beginning that year, the Riot & Valkyries have alternated WWCFL Championship wins. Since that time, neither team has managed a clean sweep of the other during the course of a single season.

Second year Regina Riot player Aly Bell provides a unique perspective on the rivalry, having spent two seasons with the Saskatoon Valkyries as well. She outlines the similarities between the two programs that make them such great rivals:

“A big part of the Riot/Valkyries rivalry stems from how elite both programs have become. Athletes from both programs train year round to better themselves on the field. Players on both sides are passionate, smart and dedicated. They work their butts off. They’re all elite athletes, and no athlete likes to lose.”

But there are differences between the two teams as well.

“My experiences between the two teams are incomparable” continues Bell. “I learned the game and fell in love with it during my first two seasons with the Valkyries. The culture in Saskatoon is just completely different than the culture here with the Riot. It’s not a bad thing. One isn’t better than the other. It’s just different.”

And Bell is happy she made the jump.

“Coming to Regina for my third season was a tough decision, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I was able to adjust to the culture immediately. The coaches here are top notch. I was able to learn the game through a completely different set of eyes and from different coaching styles, which only bettered me as a player.”

In 2018, the Riot remain one step ahead of their toughest competitors. The reigning WWCFL Champions were able to go into Saskatoon three weeks ago and hand the Valkyries at 28 – 7 loss on their home field.

“I have seen the rivalry evolve over our 8 years in the league” explains Jattansingh. “We are no longer chasing the Valks, trying to catch up to them. Now we’re the ones being chased.”

Regina hopes to sustain their recent success when the two teams meet again this weekend with first place in the Prairie Conference on the line. That game takes place on Sunday, June 3rd at Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff is at 2pm. Tickets are available online or at the door.

SGEU HELP RIOT REACH THE NEXT LEVEL

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As a small non-profit, the Regina Riot relies on their sponsorships in order to remain a viable organization. The Regina business community has always supported their women’s tackle football team, and that support continues to grow each year. 37 individual businesses are sponsoring the Regina Riot this season, more than any year before. Chief amongst those sponsors are the SGEU Crown Corporation.

SGEU’s support of the Riot is nothing new. They’ve been sponsoring the team for a number of years previous to this one. But it was this 2018 season where SGEU truly showed their passion for Riot football.

“We had always had a good relationship with SGEU, they had always been a consistent supporter of the team in the past” explains Regina Riot President Clarke Westby. “But this year they took that support to an entirely different level.”

For the 2018 season, SGEU provided the Regina Riot with a $20,000 sponsorship. This incredibly generous show of support allowed the Riot to make some important purchases, not the least of which was to spend $5,000 on new helmets for the team. As a thank you, all Riot helmets are now adorned with an SGEU logo.

The Riot were also able to use the sponsorship to cover the costs of team clothing, as well as other costs associated with running the team such as team travel and operational costs on game day.

The sponsorship was brought in for the Riot in large part due to the work of Team Manager Bre Deren, She worked directly with Bob Bymoen and Debbie Wallace of SGEU to help make the deal happen.

“Bob & Debbie are very passionate about Riot football,” says Bre. “Bob’s daughter played football on a men’s team, so he was very excited to see the opportunity that the Riot brought forward for women of all ages.”

Bre also spoke about the positive impact that the sponsorship has had on the team.

“Their support has allowed the women on this team to focus on playing the sport they are passionate about. It wasn’t long ago that it was the responsibility of the players to worry about how to find the financial means to run this team. A sponsorship of this nature is valued and cherished.”

The commitment that SGEU has shown to the Riot is tangible, and everyone involved with the team feels it. Head Coach Olivier Eddie and General Manager Alicia Dorwart also expressed their gratitude for the sponsorship.

“What SGEU has done for us enables our team to operate at it’s best” explained Head Coach Olivier Eddie.

“SGEU’s generous donation and support of the Regina Riot has a large impact on the success of this organization,” elaborated General Manager Alicia Dorwart. “We appreciate and thank them for allowing us to continue to grow the sport of football for women in this city.”

Perhaps Riot President Clarke Westby wrapped things up best.

“We appreciate all our sponsors, as we wouldn’t be able to run our team without them” said Westby. “But we are truly amazed by the partnership that we have developed with SGEU. It’s one that we hope can continue to grow for years to come.”

HOME OPENER CANCELLED; RIOT WIN BY FORFEIT

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The Winnipeg Wolfpack have had to cancel their trip to Regina to play the Riot this weekend due to unforeseen circumstances. The two teams were scheduled to play at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday afternoon in what would have been the Riot’s home opener. Instead the Wolfpack will forfeit the game, bringing Regina’s record to 3-0.

The Riot’s home opener will now take place against the Saskatoon Valkyries on Sunday, June 3rd at Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff will be at 2pm. Tickets will be available at the door as well as online.

RIOT VANQUISH VALKS; PREPARE FOR HOME OPENER

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The Regina Riot Road Trip (sponsored by Moose Mountain Bus Lines) continued this past weekend as the team rolled into Saskatoon to challenge their provincial rival Saskatoon Valkyries. It was the first meeting between the two teams this season, and the stakes were high. The result could end up playing a significant factor in which team finishes first in the Prairie Conference this season.

Things got off to a quick start, with Riot quarterback Aimee Kowalski connecting with receiver Jenna Koller for a 60-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. The Valkyries struck back almost immediately with a return touchdown on the ensuing kickoff.

That would be the only scoring that the Valkyries could muster on this night. The Riot defense put the clamps down on Saskatoon all evening, not allowing their offense to put points on the board throughout the duration of the contest. The Riot would score three more touchdowns during the game, leading to a final score of 28 – 7.

“We were quite pleased to head back home with the win and a 21 point advantage in what we like to call our home-and-home series” said Head Coach Olivier Eddie after the game. “Being in the driver seat means that the odds are in our favour to host multiple playoff games.”

The strong defensive showing by the Riot is promising following an offseason scheme change on that side of the ball. Particularly impressive was the play of safety Mira Trebilcock, who Eddie pointed out played sideline-to-sideline in her efforts to defend the pass.

But just because the Riot won their first match up with the Valkyries does not guarantee future success. Last year the Riot were also successful in defeating Saskatoon on the road, but failed to capitalize and lost the return matchup when they hosted the Valks later that season.

“We need to avoid complacency” said Eddie afterwards. “We have a good football team but in this league you need to be great to win it all. We have to keep our foot on the gas pedal.”

The Riot will have their next opportunity to put the pedal to the metal in just over a week when they play host to their home opener against the Winnipeg Wolfpack. In the meantime, the players and coaches will have a break from game action as they enjoy their single bye week of the season.

The Riot home opener against Winnipeg will take place on Sunday, May 27th at Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff is at 2pm. Tickets are available at the door.

RIOT WIN IN WINNIPEG; ON TO SASKATOON

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The Regina Riot opened up their regular season schedule this past weekend by traveling to Winnipeg to play the Manitoba Fearless. The two teams are familiar with each other already this year, having met the weekend prior in Regina in a preseason game. The Riot were able to come away with a narrow victory in that contest, winning by a final score of 22 – 17.

That even level of play continued throughout the first quarter of action in Winnipeg on Saturday, as the Riot and Fearless went into the first quarter break tied up 7-7. It wasn’t until the second quarter where the Riot were able to pull ahead and never look back. This was thanks in large part due to the play of quarterback Aimee Kowalski. She would throw four touchdowns in the second quarter, and follow that up with one more in the second half as she led the Riot to a victory with a final score of 56 – 14.

“We started a bit slow on offense,” explained Head Coach Olivier Eddie after the game, “but we never really doubted that we would be able to bounce back. Aimee went 9 of 10 throwing the ball in the second and third quarters and put up 5 TDs. Our run game also kicked it into gear and we ended the game with 8 different ball carriers combining for 230 yards on the ground.”

It was an especially impressive outing for the Regina Riot’s young receivers, as second year player Jenna Koller hauled in three touchdowns and third year player Hope Jordens caught one as well. Fourth year player Rachelle Smith caught Kowalski’s fifth touchdown, and reigning Team MVP Carmen Agar was able to score one on the ground.

The Regina Riot defense, which was revamped in the offseason, also played well.

“We executed our new defense fairly well,” said Eddie. “We expected to make a few mistakes early on, but I’m proud of the group and how we progressed throughout the game.” The Riot’s stop unit also contributed offensively, scoring two touchdowns off of turnovers.

With their first victory of the season in the books, the Riot now turn their attention toward their first matchup of the season against their provincial rival Saskatoon Valkyries. The Riot holds a slight 5-4 record advantage against the Valkyries over the past three seasons, but the team knows that won’t help them this weekend.

“We know how good they are,” said Eddie when asked about the upcoming game. “This rivalry game could go anyway. It’s our job to make sure that we are prepared for the challenge.”

The Riot & Valkyries will square off in Saskatoon on Saturday, May 12th at Griffiths Stadium. Kickoff is at 8:00pm.

PRESEASON RECAP/WEEK 1 PREVIEW

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PRESEASON GAME RECAP

The Regina Riot kicked off their first home preseason game in a number of years this past Sunday when they hosted the Manitoba Fearless at Leibel Field. The final score was closer than Riot fans may be used to, but the home team still managed to come out on top 22 – 17.

“The Fearless came out very strong” said Riot Head Coach Olivier Eddie after the game. “Kudos to them for the absolutely great match.”

Preseason is a time to evaluate the roster, and Coach Eddie took advantage by rotating most of his players onto the field at various points throughout the game.

“Preseason games give us the opportunity to get some new players valuable game experience,” said Coach Eddie. “It also allows us to evaluate our new athletes. Kristina McFadden is one of these new athletes that stood out to us on Sunday.”

It was also the first opportunity for the Regina Riot to implement their new defensive scheme in a game situation.

“We have a very different look on defense this season, and going through this first preseason game was an important first step” said Eddie.

At the game’s conclusion, Regina Riot WR Hope Jordens and Manitoba Fearless RB Hallie Eggie were named the Hillberg & Berk Players of the Game and each walked away with a new pair of Sparkle Ball Earrings.

 

HUMBOLDT BRONCOS TRIBUTE

Prior to kickoff of Sunday’s preseason game, a moment of silence was held at midfield in memory of those affected by the Humboldt Broncos tragedy of this spring. The Regina Riot have dedicated their 2018 season in memory of those who lost their lives in the accident, and the team will be taking donations to support the Humboldt community throughout this season.

 

WEEK 1 PREVIEW

The regular season kicks off this weekend, when the Riot will be making a trip to Winnipeg to play the Manitoba Fearless once again. It will be the one & only time the two teams meet in the regular season.

“Starting the regular season with a win is important to us,” stated Coached Eddie. “Manitoba proved to us this week that they will be a tough opponent, and we will need to be at our best.”

The regular season opener will take place in Winnipeg at Investor’s Group Field on Saturday, May 5th. Kickoff is at 7:30pm.