Before the season began, FC Tulsa Head Coach Luke Spencer didn’t want to put a ceiling on what his side might be able to accomplish.

On Saturday night after a 1-1 draw against Oakland Roots SC at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Scissortails checked the first box on what’s potentially a groundbreaking campaign for the side, securing its first trip to the USL Championship Playoffs since 2021.

Here are three things we took away from the contest.

1. Tulsa’s Resilience Continues to be Its Hallmark

Based on the side’s reaction to going behind in games this season, there’s been no more resilient team in the USL Championship this campaign than Tulsa. After an evenly played first half saw Oakland come away with a one-goal lead on Peter Wilson’s sharp finish, the Scissortails responded with a superb individual effort by Taylor Calheira to level things early in the second half.

Tulsa now leads the USL Championship having gained 20 points from losing positions this season – a mark that’s comfortably set a single-season club record surpassing 14 points gained in the 2018 season. The Scissortails’ 23 second-half goals this campaign rank fourth in the league overall, helping put the side in position to finish top of the West at the end of the regular season.

“I thought the guys showed great resilience,” said Spencer. “We hit the crossbar twice and made things difficult for them on set pieces. The team came out with the right attitude and intensity in the second half, and it paid off with the equalizer.”

2. Taylor Calheira’s All-Around Contribution Shines Through

Despite recording his 12th goal of the season on Saturday, Taylor Calheira is going to have to go some to contend for the Golden Boot. He now sits four goals back of the Charleston Battery’s Cal Jennings with five games to play, a decent deficit to make up on one of the USL Championship’s all-time marksmen.

Look beyond just his goalscoring, though, and the 23-year-old that Tulsa acquired last offseason via transfer from New York City FC II has been one of the transformative pieces in the club’s upswing. According to American Soccer Analysis’ data, Calheira has been arguably the most valuable player to his side when it comes to all-around play, sitting with a +8.98 Goals Added mark to lead the Championship.

What Calheira brings to the table was evident on his second-half goal. Recognizing the potential opportunity as an Oakland defender turned back toward goal inside his own half, Calheira’s pressure earned possession and allowed him to create space with a burst of speed into the penalty area. His left-footed finish to the bottom-right corner was precise, leaving Roots goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel little chance to save.

That feel for the game and the work he’s put in leading Tulsa’s defensive pressure has been a great example of why the Scissortails are in the position they are this year.

“It felt great to score my 12th goal of the season and help the team clinch a playoff spot,” said Calheira. “That was the goal from the start of the season. I thought maybe I could’ve done a bit more to help us win, but getting into the playoffs is a big step.”

3. Oakland Continues to See the Clock Run Down

On its own, earning a point against the best team in the conference would be a credible result for an Oakland Roots SC side that’s making progress under new Head Coach Benny Feilhber. In a position where games are starting to run out in the regular season – Roots now faces a five-point deficit to eighth-place Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC with six games to play – it felt like a missed opportunity to secure a big home win.

“I think it was one of the fairest results based on what both teams gave it,” said Feilhaber. “It doesn't help us much in the table, but I do think it’s a really good progression from our group. And I told them at the end, I think that we’re headed in the direction that we want to be. We’re headed towards our goal. I just don’t know if we have enough runway anymore.”

The one thing Roots has in its favor is Liberian forward Peter Wilson, whose seventh goal in the past seven games continued his strong run of form. With a pair of potential six-pointers to come on the road in the next two weeks against Phoenix Rising FC and El Paso Locomotive FC, Oakland isn’t out of time yet, but the clock’s ticking.