The good news for the Estevan Tarpon Energy Big Dogs is there's nowhere to go but up.
The junior lacrosse team got their season started on a sour note on Friday, losing 33-7 to the Regina Rifles in the Queen City in Prairie Gold Lacrosse League action.
The Big Dogs' home opener is Saturday when they host the Yorkton Bulldogs at 7 p.m. They also play host to the Saskatoon Steelers on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Dylan Smith led the team on Friday with two goals and five points, while Rhett Handley netted a goal and four points.
Mark Moriarty, Ty Currie and Tanner Froese were also among the Big Dogs' scorers.
But it was a game to forget for Estevan.
"What didn't go wrong?" said head coach Evan Handley. "The first four or five minutes were actually pretty close, with both teams playing their first game of the year. It was back and forth, lots of scrambling, both sides turning the ball over.
"Then they started to execute their offence. Like I said at the start of the year, if we do not do well defensively, we are not going to be successful."
Handley noted that with an arsenal of offensive weapons, including last year's league scoring leader Tristan Frei, it's tough to limit the Rifles' scoring chances.
"It's going to be really hard to keep that team off the scoreboard. We took a ton of penalties, deserved or not ... and they capitalized. They did a really good job on their power play," said Handley.
"It's one of those games you take out and throw away and say, 'that's the best team in the league and if we don't stay out of the box, that's what's going to happen.'"
Despite a rough first period, Handley felt his team got better as the game went on, with the power play being a bright spot.
"We started playing better in the second period. Our power play did pretty decent. We buried at least three power play goals. We moved the ball around quite well on our power play.
"Cole MacCuish did really well for his first game ever. Isaac Elder did some good things out there, Ryan Kenzie played well, Ty Currie played really well and got a nice goal. Ryan Juhlke did really well. He played tough defence and moved the ball up the floor a couple of times.
Dustin DeBruyne took a match penalty during the game and is facing a suspension.
Handley said the Big Dogs simply need to be better defensively in order to improve.
"We need to keep the ball out of our net and that starts with our defence, so that they're not having breakaways and 3-on-1s and having free shots."
He added that they have to play "a lot meaner."
The team will play an exhibition game against the senior Impact team tomorrow night.
Both games this weekend will be played at Spectra Place.
The Impact opened their PGLL regular season on Saturday and Sunday in Saskatoon against the Brewers. Scores were not available at press time.
