SAN DIEGO - Matt Strand's pass into the end zone with 2.5 seconds remaining was knocked down, and the Wyoming Cavalry lost its first game of the season late Saturday night, 52-45, to the San Diego Shockwave.

In typical National Indoor Football League form, nuances were the norm.

Wyoming (5-1) battled a rowdy crowd, many blaring air horns (which aren't allowed into most arenas).

The end zones were a slim 4 yards deep (almost 2 yards shorter than most).

And while the turf and dasherboards were up to snuff, Cavalry coach Dan Maciejczak said some dasherpads would have been a nice addition (since most other indoor teams play with them).

"We handled the adversity pretty well," Maciejczak said. "We just have to work on finishing things."

San Diego (7-1) scored on its first two possessions, thanks in part to a fumble by the Cavs on their first play from scrimmage. The Shockwave led by two at intermission, before Wyoming took a 12-point lead in the third quarter.

The hosts then returned a kickoff for a touchdown to start a back-and-forth scoring exchange to set up the final series for the Cavs.

"We just made a lot of mental mistakes," Maciejczak said.

The coach put some of the blame on three blown defensive coverages that resulted in scores for San Diego, and some on the offense's slow start.

"A lot of it was the fact that we haven't faced a lot of good competition," Maciejczak said. "We'll work on driving that dagger down on teams a little better."

Individual statistics were not available.

Maciejczak said the Cavs currently hold the tiebreaker (head-to-head scoring differential) over San Diego in the Western Conference due to their 54-20 victory over the Shockwave on April 7.

Wyoming is off this week and will play an unknown opponent on the road sometime the following week. The Cavs finish the regular season with two home games before the playoffs begin in mid-July.

CAVS TRACKER

n SATURDAY: San Diego 52, Wyoming 45.

n RECORDS: Cavalry (5-1); Shockwave (7-1).

n KEY STAT: Despite the loss, Wyoming holds the tiebreaker of the Shockwave by virtue of its 54-20 victory over San Diego on April 7.

n UP NEXT: TBD. After a bye week, Wyoming will play another road game against an unknown opponent.