The league is new, but the will to win is the same.

The Wyoming Calvary held a media day on Saturday at the Casper Events Center and one thing is clear: The team wants to win the American Indoor Football Association Championship.

"We are going to win the championship, man. It's plain and simple," defensive lineman Tyrone Saterfield said. "If you are not out to win championships, why are you playing? So that is our main goal, to come out, play Cavs football, and win the championship."

The Cavalry are competing in the AIFA for the first year this season. They will play in the Western Conference along with the Utah Saints, Arizona Adrenaline and the New Mexico Wildcats.

Players and coaches alike expect the new league to be better than the National Indoor Football League, the team's old league, which was plagued with problems.

"The group is stronger as a league and it's more of a functional deal," Cavalry coach Dan Maciejczak said, "where if I have problems or whatever we can get an answer. Whereas before it was more of a fly by the seat of your pants and hope that someone calls you back."

Wyoming's first game is Saturday at Utah. Maciejczak said the team has been practicing for a week and a half.

The Cavs' season is 14 games, with all of them coming against Western Conference teams. Wyoming is the only pre-existing team going into the season. The other teams are new franchises.

"I expect us to do really well and the biggest thing with that is we are an established franchise here," quarterback Matt Strand said. "With Arizona, New Mexico and Utah being new, I think that gives us a leg up on them."

With no game film on their opponents, Maciejczak said the team will have to focus on itself to start the season.

"It's a lot of question marks as far as who we are playing, what they have, what are they going to do," Maciejczak said. "We are just going to concentrate on ourselves and what we can do. If we play perfect football, and not make mistakes, not fumble, not throw interceptions, make tackles I think we'll be competitive."

Maciejczak said the team plans to score as fast and often as possible. The Cavs will play a spread offense, while on defense they plan to have a "bend-but-don't-break philosophy."

In all, Maciejczak said fans can expect the same thing from the team as last season.

"We are going to do great things in the community," Maciejczak said. "We are part of a great community here, so our guys are going to behave themselves on and off the field, and hopefully we can win enough games to try to set ourselves up to win a national championship."

(Contact sports reporter David Buck at (307) 266 0596 or david.buck@trib.com)