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The Tulsa Roughnecks scored a pair of late goals Saturday afternoon to earn a spirited 2-2 draw with Oklahoma Wesleyan University at Owasso High School Stadium.  Kaleemullah was the hero for the Roughnecks scoring both goals to earn the draw.

The Tulsa Roughnecks scored a pair of late goals Saturday afternoon to earn a spirited 2-2 draw with Oklahoma Wesleyan University at Owasso High School Stadium.  Kaleemullah was the hero for the Roughnecks scoring both goals to earn the draw.

Kaleem's heroics made the best of what was mostly a lackluster outing for the Roughnecks.  The captain of the Pakistan National Team converted a 25-yard free kick in the 90th minute to pull TRFC to within one goal, before converting a penalty moments later to earn the draw with the Eagles.

Photo (left by Brooke Carroll):  Kaleem celebrates his game-tying penalty kick.

The game was part of Owasso Soccer Day presented by Hillcrest HealthCare System.  It began with a pregame clinic with the Roughnecks players and ended on Kaleem's penalty kick conversion.

After conducting the one-hour clinic for youth players, the Roughnecks began the match flat, conceding an opening goal only two minutes into the contest.  Tulsa's defenders were beaten, leaving goalkeeper Alex Mangels with no chance on a softly chipped shot that found the goal.

The Eagles doubled their lead to 2-0 in the 34th minute.  The Roughnecks back line was caught pushing forward, and Mangels was again left in a one-on-one situation.  The OKWU forward calmly finished the chance, curling a shot into the lower, right corner of Mangels net.

From there, OKWU was determined to protect its lead, while the Roughnecks opened the second 45 minutes with more energy in search of their first goal in over 2 1/2 matches.

It was Cristian Mata causing most of the problems.  He set up Sammy Ochoa in the 53rd minute for a chance before taking a left-footed shot himself one minute later.  The Wesleyan keeper saved both attempts to keep his shutout intact.

At the other end, Tulsa's second-half goalkeeper, Jake Feener, was left alone in his end of the field for most of the second half.

Kaleem’s heroics made the best of what was mostly a lackluster outing for the Roughnecks.  The captain of the Pakistan National Team converted a 25-yard free kick in the 90th minute to pull TRFC to within one goal, before converting a penalty moments later to earn the draw with the Eagles.

Photo (left by Brooke Carroll):  Kaleem celebrates his game-tying penalty kick.

The game was part of Owasso Soccer Day presented by Hillcrest HealthCare System.  It began with a pregame clinic with the Roughnecks players and ended on Kaleem’s penalty kick conversion.

After conducting the one-hour clinic for youth players, the Roughnecks began the match flat, conceding an opening goal only two minutes into the contest.  Tulsa’s defenders were beaten, leaving goalkeeper Alex Mangels with no chance on a softly chipped shot that found the goal.

The Eagles doubled their lead to 2-0 in the 34th minute.  The Roughnecks back line was caught pushing forward, and Mangels was again left in a one-on-one situation.  The OKWU forward calmly finished the chance, curling a shot into the lower, right corner of Mangels net.

From there, OKWU was determined to protect its lead, while the Roughnecks opened the second 45 minutes with more energy in search of their first goal in over 2 1/2 matches.

It was Cristian Mata causing most of the problems.  He set up Sammy Ochoa in the 53rd minute for a chance before taking a left-footed shot himself one minute later.  The Wesleyan keeper saved both attempts to keep his shutout intact.

At the other end, Tulsa’s second-half goalkeeper, Jake Feener, was left alone in his end of the field for most of the second half.

TRFC Head Coach David Irving turned to his bench at the hour mark, bringing on forward Taylor Morgan and several other trialists.

The speedy Morgan changed the tempo of the match and immediately began to cause problems for the Eagles.  In the 66th minute, Kaleem came on as another substitute.

Photo of Taylor Morgan (right) by:  Rich Crimi

The Roughnecks nearly got their first goal during a rush in the 80th minute.  Attacking from the left side, Morgan hit the near post with a shot before a rebound effort from trialist Carlos Contreras was cleared off the line by a defender.

Tulsa's pressure finally produced a goal in the 90th minute when Wesleyan was called for a foul approximately 25 yards from goal.  Kaleem curled a perfectly placed free kick into the upper corner of the goal to make it 2-1.

Ninety seconds later, another foul gave the Roughnecks the opening for the equalizer.  As the resulting free kick was sent into the box, a Wesleyan defender was whistled for a headlock on Morgan.

The call enraged the Wesleyan players as several rushed after referee.  During the argument, another Roughnecks player was slung to the ground, resulting in a red card.

When order was finally restored, Kaleem set up for the penalty kick.  He made no mistake with his effort, beating the keeper to his left with a low, curving shot to level the score at 2-2.

It was the final kick of the match as the referee blew his full-time whistle as the Eagles again rushed after the crew. 

The result leaves the Roughnecks with a 2-1-3 record after six preseason matches.

Irving saw good and bad in the performance from his team.  “The first 10 minutes, we were not in the game,” he said.  “I think we were still doing the clinic.  But after that, we pretty much controlled things and missed a lot of chances.”

He added, “We are still missing a couple of players, and we are thin at the back.  But, that is what preseason is all about."

“It was a good experience coming up here to Owasso, and it was a great crowd.  We had a good time, and it was certainly an exciting finish to the match.”  

Last year, Oklahoma Wesleyan defeated the Roughnecks 2-1 in a preseason match.

The Roughnecks are slated to play two more preseason matches. TRFC will travel to Dallas to face SMU on Wednesday morning before closing the preseason by facing NPSL side FC Wichita at ONEOK Field on March 19.

Tulsa will open the USL regular season on Saturday, March 26 when Rio Grande Valley (Houston Dynamo 2) visits ONEOK Field.

TRFC Head Coach David Irving turned to his bench at the hour mark, bringing on forward Taylor Morgan and several other trialists.

The speedy Morgan changed the tempo of the match and immediately began to cause problems for the Eagles.  In the 66th minute, Kaleem came on as another substitute.

Photo of Taylor Morgan (right) by:  Rich Crimi

The Roughnecks nearly got their first goal during a rush in the 80th minute.  Attacking from the left side, Morgan hit the near post with a shot before a rebound effort from trialist Carlos Contreras was cleared off the line by a defender.

Tulsa’s pressure finally produced a goal in the 90th minute when Wesleyan was called for a foul approximately 25 yards from goal.  Kaleem curled a perfectly placed free kick into the upper corner of the goal to make it 2-1.

Ninety seconds later, another foul gave the Roughnecks the opening for the equalizer.  As the resulting free kick was sent into the box, a Wesleyan defender was whistled for a headlock on Morgan.

The call enraged the Wesleyan players as several rushed after referee.  During the argument, another Roughnecks player was slung to the ground, resulting in a red card.

When order was finally restored, Kaleem set up for the penalty kick.  He made no mistake with his effort, beating the keeper to his left with a low, curving shot to level the score at 2-2.

It was the final kick of the match as the referee blew his full-time whistle as the Eagles again rushed after the crew. 

The result leaves the Roughnecks with a 2-1-3 record after six preseason matches.

Irving saw good and bad in the performance from his team.  “The first 10 minutes, we were not in the game,” he said.  “I think we were still doing the clinic.  But after that, we pretty much controlled things and missed a lot of chances.”

He added, “We are still missing a couple of players, and we are thin at the back.  But, that is what preseason is all about.”

“It was a good experience coming up here to Owasso, and it was a great crowd.  We had a good time, and it was certainly an exciting finish to the match.”  

Last year, Oklahoma Wesleyan defeated the Roughnecks 2-1 in a preseason match.

The Roughnecks are slated to play two more preseason matches. TRFC will travel to Dallas to face SMU on Wednesday morning before closing the preseason by facing NPSL side FC Wichita at ONEOK Field on March 19.

Tulsa will open the USL regular season on Saturday, March 26 when Rio Grande Valley (Houston Dynamo 2) visits ONEOK Field.

It was Tulsa versus Tulsa Thursday night as the Roughnecks stayed close to home for their fifth friendly of the preseason, making the short drive to the University of Tulsa to face the NCAA Golden Hurricane.  In a match that featured chances for both sides, neither team could find the back of the net as the two sides settled for a 0-0 draw at Hurricane Stadium.

The scoreless battle left the Roughnecks with a 2-2-1 record in their five matches as they prepare for the 2016 USL regular season.  The Golden Hurricane are in the midst of spring practice in anticipation of the NCAA regular season this fall.

Photos of Taylor Morgan & Iarfhlaith Davoren by:  Brooke Carroll

The match started slowly with neither goalkeeper seeing any action.  The Roughnecks' Jake Feener was finally called into action in the 10th minute when he came out of goal to deny the Golden Hurricane on a breakaway.

Feener made another diving save seven minutes later, before the Roughnecks started to finally find chances in the later stages of the first 45 minutes.

Brady Ballew, who started at right back, produced a dangerous run and cross in the 33rd minute, and Iarfhlaith Davoren's soft header on the ensuing corner was easily saved.

Sammy Ochoa, who has four goals in the preseason for the Roughnecks, nearly produced a fifth in the 44th minute, but the forward's header bounced off the crossbar.

It was Tulsa versus Tulsa Thursday night as the Roughnecks stayed close to home for their fifth friendly of the preseason, making the short drive to the University of Tulsa to face the NCAA Golden Hurricane.  In a match that featured chances for both sides, neither team could find the back of the net as the two sides settled for a 0-0 draw at Hurricane Stadium.

The scoreless battle left the Roughnecks with a 2-2-1 record in their five matches as they prepare for the 2016 USL regular season.  The Golden Hurricane are in the midst of spring practice in anticipation of the NCAA regular season this fall.

Photos of Taylor Morgan & Iarfhlaith Davoren by:  Brooke Carroll

The match started slowly with neither goalkeeper seeing any action.  The Roughnecks’ Jake Feener was finally called into action in the 10th minute when he came out of goal to deny the Golden Hurricane on a breakaway.

Feener made another diving save seven minutes later, before the Roughnecks started to finally find chances in the later stages of the first 45 minutes.

Brady Ballew, who started at right back, produced a dangerous run and cross in the 33rd minute, and Iarfhlaith Davoren’s soft header on the ensuing corner was easily saved.

Sammy Ochoa, who has four goals in the preseason for the Roughnecks, nearly produced a fifth in the 44th minute, but the forward’s header bounced off the crossbar.

Head coach David Irving made a number of changes for the second half, sending on several trialists.  In addition, Alex Mangels continued his rotation with Feener in the Roughnecks goal as he came on for the second 45 minutes.

It did not take the Hurricane long to call on the new keeper as Mangels was forced into a sliding save on another breakaway in the 51st minute.

The Roughnecks countered at the other end, but Cristian Mata's shot from the left side of the box skimmed over the top of the net.

Adriano Pellegrino, who was making his debut for the Roughnecks, had a shot from distance turned away in the 65th minute, and Taylor Morgan's effort on the following corner kick was also turned away.

The Golden Hurricane continued to test Mangels, and the University of California-Berkeley product was up to the task, tipping a shot over the crossbar in the 70th minute and turning aside another shot in the 79th minute.

TU continued to look the more dangerous side over the final 10 minutes but could not produce a goal.

For Irving, the outing was not a surprise.  His team was playing its fifth match in 13 days and was without the services of Kaleemullah, Jasson Ramos Carpio and Henri who are all nursing various injuries.

"If I were a betting man, I would have said we would have played that way," he said.  "We had a tough week last week, and we were not really up to it tonight."

"We had some guys out of position, and we were off the pace.

"But that is what preseason is all about, and there are no excuses for us.  It's all credit to TU as they made it difficult for us."

Irving added that he felt his squad is making progress.  "We have two weeks to go before the start of the regular season, and we are getting there," he said.

The Roughnecks will have further opportunity to progress as they are back in action Saturday afternoon in Owasso.  Tulsa will take on Oklahoma Wesleyan University at Owasso High School during Owasso Soccer Day presented by Hillcrest Health System.

The Roughnecks players and coaches will conduct a free clinic beginning at 1:00pm for youth players who wear their jerseys.  The match with Oklahoma Wesleyan will follow the clinic and will kick off at 3:00pm.

Tickets for the match are available at the Owasso High School and are $5 for adults and $3 for students.  Kids who participate in the clinic will receive free admission.  All proceeds will benefit the Owasso soccer program.

Head coach David Irving made a number of changes for the second half, sending on several trialists.  In addition, Alex Mangels continued his rotation with Feener in the Roughnecks goal as he came on for the second 45 minutes.

It did not take the Hurricane long to call on the new keeper as Mangels was forced into a sliding save on another breakaway in the 51st minute.

The Roughnecks countered at the other end, but Cristian Mata’s shot from the left side of the box skimmed over the top of the net.

Adriano Pellegrino, who was making his debut for the Roughnecks, had a shot from distance turned away in the 65th minute, and Taylor Morgan’s effort on the following corner kick was also turned away.

The Golden Hurricane continued to test Mangels, and the University of California-Berkeley product was up to the task, tipping a shot over the crossbar in the 70th minute and turning aside another shot in the 79th minute.

TU continued to look the more dangerous side over the final 10 minutes but could not produce a goal.

For Irving, the outing was not a surprise.  His team was playing its fifth match in 13 days and was without the services of Kaleemullah, Jasson Ramos Carpio and Henri who are all nursing various injuries.

“If I were a betting man, I would have said we would have played that way,” he said.  “We had a tough week last week, and we were not really up to it tonight.”

“We had some guys out of position, and we were off the pace.

“But that is what preseason is all about, and there are no excuses for us.  It’s all credit to TU as they made it difficult for us.”

Irving added that he felt his squad is making progress.  “We have two weeks to go before the start of the regular season, and we are getting there,” he said.

The Roughnecks will have further opportunity to progress as they are back in action Saturday afternoon in Owasso.  Tulsa will take on Oklahoma Wesleyan University at Owasso High School during Owasso Soccer Day presented by Hillcrest Health System.

The Roughnecks players and coaches will conduct a free clinic beginning at 1:00pm for youth players who wear their jerseys.  The match with Oklahoma Wesleyan will follow the clinic and will kick off at 3:00pm.

Tickets for the match are available at the Owasso High School and are $5 for adults and $3 for students.  Kids who participate in the clinic will receive free admission.  All proceeds will benefit the Owasso soccer program.

Tulsa Roughnecks FC closed out its four-match, preseason series in the state of Florida on Saturday with a 2-0 loss to Miami FC of the NASL.  The defeat was the first of the trip for the Roughnecks and left them with a 2-1-1 record.

The victory for Miami gave them the championship in a four-team event that was held in Jacksonville over the past three days.  The Roughnecks finished second in the competition ahead of the Charleston Battery of the USL and the host Jacksonville Armada from the NASL.

Tulsa Roughnecks FC closed out its four-match, preseason series in the state of Florida on Saturday with a 2-0 loss to Miami FC of the NASL.  The defeat was the first of the trip for the Roughnecks and left them with a 2-1-1 record.

The victory for Miami gave them the championship in a four-team event that was held in Jacksonville over the past three days.  The Roughnecks finished second in the competition ahead of the Charleston Battery of the USL and the host Jacksonville Armada from the NASL.

Saturday’s match marked the fourth in the last seven days for TRFC, and the busy slate may have had an effect, as the shorthanded Roughnecks seemed a step slower than earlier in the week.

Tulsa spent a majority of the first 45 minutes in its own half, and it appeared the match would be scoreless at halftime.  However, Miami FC struck just before the first-half whistle sounded when Brazilian forward Pablo Campos beat Tulsa keeper Alex Mangels to open the scoring.

Down a goal, Tulsa got its best chance of the match just six minutes into the second half.  Sammy Ochoa, who had scored four goals in the first three matches in Florida, was denied by an impressive save from Miami keeper David Sierra to keep the match at 1-0.

Campos sealed the outcome when he doubled Miami’s lead in the 70th minute with his second goal of the match.

Despite the defeat, Tulsa Head Coach David Irving was pleased with his squad’s performance. 

“It was obvious that we were a little tired today, but I thought it was still a good performance,” said Irving.  “They basically played two squads, while we were still shorthanded, even using assistant coach Tom Taylor in the final minutes.”

“But, you really have to look at the big picture,” he added.  “We came out of this final match with no major injuries.  We replaced David Abidor in the first half because of slight groin pull, but we overall are in good shape.”

The training in Florida was marred by an automobile accident that affected a group of Tulsa players, but Irving still thought it was beneficial trip in preparing for the regular season.

“These last few days have probably been the toughest of my coaching career,” he said.  “The boys have been really great, but it will feel good to get home.”

The time down here has been very worthwhile as we have set a good foundation for the season.  Sometimes, these types of events can bring a squad closer together, and I think that has happened.”

The Roughnecks will return to Tulsa Sunday evening and will enjoy an off day on Monday before they resume training on Tuesday.  Tulsa fans will have their first chance to see the squad in action Thursday night, when TRFC travels the short distance to the University of Tulsa to face the Golden Hurricane.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30PM at Hurricane Stadium.

The Roughnecks will open USL regular season play on Saturday, March 26 when they host Rio Grande Valley (Houston Dynamo 2) at ONEOK Field.

Tickets for the match, as well as season tickets, are now on sale.  Individual tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE.

Saturday’s match marked the fourth in the last seven days for TRFC, and the busy slate may have had an effect, as the shorthanded Roughnecks seemed a step slower than earlier in the week.

Tulsa spent a majority of the first 45 minutes in its own half, and it appeared the match would be scoreless at halftime.  However, Miami FC struck just before the first-half whistle sounded when Brazilian forward Pablo Campos beat Tulsa keeper Alex Mangels to open the scoring.

Down a goal, Tulsa got its best chance of the match just six minutes into the second half.  Sammy Ochoa, who had scored four goals in the first three matches in Florida, was denied by an impressive save from Miami keeper David Sierra to keep the match at 1-0.

Campos sealed the outcome when he doubled Miami’s lead in the 70th minute with his second goal of the match.

Despite the defeat, Tulsa Head Coach David Irving was pleased with his squad’s performance. 

“It was obvious that we were a little tired today, but I thought it was still a good performance,” said Irving.  “They basically played two squads, while we were still shorthanded, even using assistant coach Tom Taylor in the final minutes.”

“But, you really have to look at the big picture,” he added.  “We came out of this final match with no major injuries.  We replaced David Abidor in the first half because of slight groin pull, but we overall are in good shape.”

The training in Florida was marred by an automobile accident that affected a group of Tulsa players, but Irving still thought it was beneficial trip in preparing for the regular season.

“These last few days have probably been the toughest of my coaching career,” he said.  “The boys have been really great, but it will feel good to get home.”

The time down here has been very worthwhile as we have set a good foundation for the season.  Sometimes, these types of events can bring a squad closer together, and I think that has happened.”

The Roughnecks will return to Tulsa Sunday evening and will enjoy an off day on Monday before they resume training on Tuesday.  Tulsa fans will have their first chance to see the squad in action Thursday night, when TRFC travels the short distance to the University of Tulsa to face the Golden Hurricane.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30PM at Hurricane Stadium.

The Roughnecks will open USL regular season play on Saturday, March 26 when they host Rio Grande Valley (Houston Dynamo 2) at ONEOK Field.

Tickets for the match, as well as season tickets, are now on sale.  Individual tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE.

Sammy Ochoa and the Tulsa Roughnecks continued their strong start to the preseason Thursday afternoon in Jacksonville, Florida.  Ochoa netted two more goals to lead the Roughnecks to a 3-2 victory over the Jacksonville Armada of the North American Soccer League.

The win came just over 24 hours after a group of Roughnecks players were injured in a car accident while traveling to Jacksonville.  The victory keeps Tulsa undefeated after three preseason matches, logging two wins and a draw.

On a sunny, warm day in north Florida, Ochoa remained the hottest player on the field, as he opened the scoring just nine minutes into the match.  The forward took a feed from Brady Ballew and beat Armada goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo to stake the Roughnecks to a 1-0 lead.

It would be the lone goal of the first half, but it did not take Cristian Mata long to double the Roughnecks lead in the second stanza.  With service provided by Taylor Morgan, Mata found the back of the net for the second time in the preseason in the 49th minute to give Tulsa a 2-0 lead.

The Armada answered five minutes later as Pascal Millien beat Tulsa goalkeeper Alex Mangels, who came on in the second half in place of Jake Feener, with a low, left-footed shot to make it 2-1.

It was the Armada who kept the pressure on for the next few minutes before the Roughnecks started to push forward again.  The pressure paid off when the duo of Ballew and Ochoa hooked up again in the 63rd minute.  Ochoa headed home a cross from Ballew for his second goal of the match and his team-leading fourth of the preseason to put the Roughnecks up 3-1. 

It was the third assist for Ballew and all three have come on goals from Ochoa.

Jacksonville kept the pressure on and pulled back within one goal in the 73rd minute.  Cameroonian International Charles Eloundou beat the Tulsa defense to make it 3-2.

The goal upped the intensity of the match as the Armada pushed forward for an equalizer, and the shorthanded Roughnecks fought to protect their lead.  In the end, Eloundou’s strike would prove to be the final goal in the match as Tulsa held on for the one-goal victory.

“It was a great performance after the events of yesterday,” said Roughnecks Head Coach David Irving.  “It was a good result against a very good side.  We were limited to only 14 available players with trialists, but we had a number of chances.  The last 15 minutes were very difficult as we asked a number of guys to go 90 minutes for the first time.”

Irving admitted that he has been impressed with the early play of his veteran forward.

“Sammy has worked hard during the off season, and it is paying dividends for him.  He has got the bit between his teeth and is finishing his chances.  I’ve made him captain for the games down here, and he is taking the leadership role to heart.”

In the end, Irving kept the early season success for his team in perspective.  “It is a good result for us, but it is still just the preseason.  It doesn’t matter until March 26.”

The March 26 the coach is referring to is the date of Tulsa’s regular season opener.  The Roughnecks will host the expansion Rio Grande Valley Toros (Houston Dynamo USL side) at ONEOK Field.

Tickets for the match, as well as season tickets, are now on sale.  Individual tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE.

Tulsa has one more match remaining in its preseason trip to Florida.  The Roughnecks will take on another NASL squad, Miami FC, Saturday morning at 9:00am CST in Jacksonville.  The squad’s first action in Oklahoma will take place on Thursday, March 10 when it takes on the University of Tulsa at the Hurricane Track and Soccer Stadium.

Sammy Ochoa and the Tulsa Roughnecks continued their strong start to the preseason Thursday afternoon in Jacksonville, Florida.  Ochoa netted two more goals to lead the Roughnecks to a 3-2 victory over the Jacksonville Armada of the North American Soccer League.

The win came just over 24 hours after a group of Roughnecks players were injured in a car accident while traveling to Jacksonville.  The victory keeps Tulsa undefeated after three preseason matches, logging two wins and a draw.

On a sunny, warm day in north Florida, Ochoa remained the hottest player on the field, as he opened the scoring just nine minutes into the match.  The forward took a feed from Brady Ballew and beat Armada goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo to stake the Roughnecks to a 1-0 lead.

It would be the lone goal of the first half, but it did not take Cristian Mata long to double the Roughnecks lead in the second stanza.  With service provided by Taylor Morgan, Mata found the back of the net for the second time in the preseason in the 49th minute to give Tulsa a 2-0 lead.

The Armada answered five minutes later as Pascal Millien beat Tulsa goalkeeper Alex Mangels, who came on in the second half in place of Jake Feener, with a low, left-footed shot to make it 2-1.

It was the Armada who kept the pressure on for the next few minutes before the Roughnecks started to push forward again.  The pressure paid off when the duo of Ballew and Ochoa hooked up again in the 63rd minute.  Ochoa headed home a cross from Ballew for his second goal of the match and his team-leading fourth of the preseason to put the Roughnecks up 3-1. 

It was the third assist for Ballew and all three have come on goals from Ochoa.

Jacksonville kept the pressure on and pulled back within one goal in the 73rd minute.  Cameroonian International Charles Eloundou beat the Tulsa defense to make it 3-2.

The goal upped the intensity of the match as the Armada pushed forward for an equalizer, and the shorthanded Roughnecks fought to protect their lead.  In the end, Eloundou’s strike would prove to be the final goal in the match as Tulsa held on for the one-goal victory.

“It was a great performance after the events of yesterday,” said Roughnecks Head Coach David Irving.  “It was a good result against a very good side.  We were limited to only 14 available players with trialists, but we had a number of chances.  The last 15 minutes were very difficult as we asked a number of guys to go 90 minutes for the first time.”

Irving admitted that he has been impressed with the early play of his veteran forward.

“Sammy has worked hard during the off season, and it is paying dividends for him.  He has got the bit between his teeth and is finishing his chances.  I’ve made him captain for the games down here, and he is taking the leadership role to heart.”

In the end, Irving kept the early season success for his team in perspective.  “It is a good result for us, but it is still just the preseason.  It doesn’t matter until March 26.”

The March 26 the coach is referring to is the date of Tulsa’s regular season opener.  The Roughnecks will host the expansion Rio Grande Valley Toros (Houston Dynamo USL side) at ONEOK Field.

Tickets for the match, as well as season tickets, are now on sale.  Individual tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE.

Tulsa has one more match remaining in its preseason trip to Florida.  The Roughnecks will take on another NASL squad, Miami FC, Saturday morning at 9:00am CST in Jacksonville.  The squad’s first action in Oklahoma will take place on Thursday, March 10 when it takes on the University of Tulsa at the Hurricane Track and Soccer Stadium.