A crowd of cheering Saskatchewan Roughriders fans welcomed back their team Monday at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Sask. The Riders lost to the Montreal Alouettes in Sunday's Grey Cup game in Calgary. (Troy Fleece/Canadian Press)About 1,000 Saskatchewan Roughriders fans gathered at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Monday to lament with the team over a narrow Grey Cup loss and to collectively dream of what the future may bring.

"It's an empty feeling, [it] still feels so real," Riders quarterback Darian Durant said after being bused directly from the tarmac of Regina International Airport to the homecoming celebration at the stadium.

'We'll be back up.'— Darian Durant, Saskatchewan Roughriders QB

The Montreal Alouettes edged the Riders 28-27 on a field goal after Saskatchewan was penalized for too many players on the field.

Montreal had missed its first attempt at the field goal and the Riders initially thought they’d won the Grey Cup before they noticed the flag on the play.

That gave Montreal kicker Damon Duval a second chance and he connected for a 33-yard field goal.

Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant waves to a crowd of supporters. (Troy Fleece/Canadian Press)"At the end of the day you have to go to the bottom to make it to the top, and we're at rock bottom right now," Durant said.

"But we'll be back up."

Fans — still bruising from the narrow loss — said although they're disappointed, the rush of goodwill as the Riders cruised to the championship game was impressive.

"The Riders have united everybody," Gordon Thompson said.

"For instance, I walked into an office — a waiting-room type situation one day, and there were these two very elderly ladies sitting there, and they're talking football. I thought that was cool."

Thompson was one of a handful of fans who unabashedly donned green and white and turned up at the airport just to let the players know they were still welcome at home, despite the loss.

"Whether they win, lose or whatever, we all like to get out and cheer," said Ian O'Brien of Moose Jaw, Sask.

"It just brings everyone together and gives us a reason to cheer and have a good time."

Other Rider fans said they were devastated but not angry.

Bunni Anderson, who has been going to Rider games since 1964, said she’s heartbroken for the players who gave it their all.

Anderson was at the stadium to lend her support Monday, but she doesn’t think it’s the toughest loss the Riders have ever faced.

"Every loss is tough, every loss," Anderson said. "This is just going to down in history a little different than the others."

With files from The Canadian Press