Players on the Regina Riot are out to prove that first impressions aren't lasting.
The team's inaugural season in the Western Women's Canadian Football League ended in disappointment - a 36-6 loss to the eventual league-champion Saskatoon Valkyries in a playoff semifinal - and included a pair of lopsided losses during the regular season.
To be fair, many players on the Riot had never played tackle football and approached the 2011 campaign not knowing what to expect. This season, though, their eyes are wide open and there's more of an understanding of their surroundings as they prepare for a second year in the seven team league.
"There's some excitement already because we think we're going to be a bit better than we were last year," said receiver Alisha Beler prior to a team workout Tuesday evening. "We have some younger girls, more athletic girls ... and the returning players have gotten rid of all of those first-year jitters. We're ready to get down to playing better football."
Beler caught the first touchdown in franchise history in a 56-6 loss to the Valkyries on May 22 at Mosaic Stadium. That game and the first couple of weeks of the season didn't play out the way the Riot wanted. But the team closed out the 2011 season with two consecutive wins - 34-20 over Manitoba Fearless and 23-12 over Winnipeg Wolf Pack - to finish the campaign with a 2-2 record and a share of second place in the division.
"Our first game was a bit of a shock to everyone just because we didn't really know what to expect," Beler said. "But as the season kept going, we felt more comfortable with what we were doing out there.
"There was definitely a big learning curve between the first game and the last game. We feel we saw a lot of progress in that time and we want to carry that over into this season."
The Riot will kick off the 2012 season on May 13 in Saskatoon. In preparation for the new season, the team has been holding indoor workouts for the past few weeks and has attracted more than 50 women, which is slightly more than what the team had turn out a year ago. According to Beler, the overall athleticism on the team appears to be improved.
"We have a lot more girls here who have played football before, and that makes a huge difference compared to what we had a year ago," said the 23-year-old University of Regina student. "And we're younger too, it seems. I was one of the younger girls on the team last year, but this year we have a lot who are younger than me."
Ashley Winter is one of several rookies to join the team this year. One aspect she has taken from the first couple of weeks with the team is the excitement heading into the 2012 season.
"The attitude around here has been great, very positive," she said. "We're all very quick to encourage one another with everyone. It kind of has a family-type feel to it. It has been a great place to learn and to develop.
"Everyone has that drive to do bigger and better things this year. We all feel we can improve on what happened last year and we can help each other to be better. Last year was last year, and we're moving forward this year."
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cslater@leaderpost.com