The California Lutheran University Regals flag football team dropped their first game of the season against the Irvine Valley College Lasers 60-6 Wednesday afternoon at Memorial Field.
“Our biggest challenge is having girls that are absent, and also being our second year into this sport,” said senior corner, safety, and running back Alanna “Lala” Alexander. “I would say a lot of these other teams that we’re playing are established and they have been playing for a while.”
Cal Lutheran’s women’s flag football team launched in 2025 under the tutelage of Athletic Director Howard Davis, with the direct intention of becoming an NCAA-recognized team by spring 2027.
Head Coach Marissa Lopez said some of the players have only joined the team in the last couple of weeks, so there is still a lot of learning for them to do. She said she is hopeful for the team and is committed to helping them improve before their official debut next spring.
“You can’t come in here and think that experience doesn’t matter, because it does,” Lopez said. “The fact that they played their hearts out and didn’t give up shows that we have a great foundation at this school, and they’re ready to continue to grow and learn.”
Alexander said the team’s biggest disadvantage was their lack of experience, but the more they play, the more they’re able to learn. Lopez said her goal was to utilize every player to the best of their abilities, and while they are still limited, this season will be their time to improve.
“We’ll adjust, and I’m just so proud of them to be able to come out here and be able to have stops on the field and to come back to the sideline and stay positive because it’s not easy losing, but if you have heart and continue to push yourself, then that’s what I’m looking for,” Lopez said.
Junior rusher Julia M’Kai “Juju” Sayyid said her favorite part about being on the team is their ability to work together. Going into the game, Sayyid’s goal was to keep communication open with her teammates, and going forward she hopes they will be able to adjust and improve together.
“It’s a sisterhood, and it’s a bond that you can’t shake,” Sayyid said.
Sayyid and Alexander both said the team needs to focus on being persistent and working hard. Even when the scoreboard shows a large deficit in points for the Regals like in Wednesday afternoon’s game, both players said it is important to keep the team’s spirits up and focus on the next play.
“My favorite part about being on the team is, honestly, just being able to work with girls who are motivated and doing things all together,” Alexander said. “I just really like being out with these girls and pushing, because I’m scared, but also I look around me and there’s 13 girls full of support.”
The Regals will next face the Ventura College Pirates at Memorial Field on Tuesday, Feb.17 at 3 p.m. Lopez said she is optimistic that the tide will turn in the Regals favor in the near future.
“We have a great foundation for this team, and I’m so proud of our captains for being great leaders and being able to stay positive when things aren’t going our way, because things will go our way soon,” Lopez said.
