Week 1 Preview

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 19^th. 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 29^th, 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.