TULSA, Okla. – When Tulsa Roughnecks FC kicks off against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Friday night at Weidner Field, it will begin an arduous month of May that will see the side play seven games before June 1 arrives.

With the club only four games into its regular-season schedule, Roughnecks Head Coach David Vaudreuil has endeavored to prepare his squad for the challenge ahead, with 14 players already having seen the starting lineup so far this season, and another in Matej Dekovic set to make his first start against the Switchbacks.

“It is a mental challenge, it’s also the reason why we’ve rotated a couple of guys in the last couple of games,” Vaudreuil said on his weekly show on the Roughnecks Facebook page. “We’re only four games in, but we’ve tried to get three, four, five guys starts and we’ll do more of that this weekend. We’ll probably start Matty Dekovic as a left center back and then next week we’ll probably look to get a couple of guys their first start. We’re looking to rotate, looking to keep everyone involved.”

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A 2017 MLS SuperDraft selection by the Chicago Fire who has been sent on loan to the Roughnecks this season, Dejkovic has made three appearances so far this season off the substitute bench. With Jorge Corrales unavailable against the Switchbacks due to suspension, the former UNC-Charlotte standout is set to step in, with Vaudreuil having been impressed with what the Croatian brings to the squad so far.

“He’s calm. He’s beyond his years, he doesn’t get fazed by too much,” said Vaudreuil. “He’s a big guy, you would say maybe he’s not the speedster on the team, but for all of us it’s not about how fast you are, it’s about who’s reading the game quicker and who gets off the mark first.

“He’s doing a great job, he’s known now for six or seven days that he’s going to play, so you can see the intensity level picking up just naturally knowing he’s going to get a start, and we expect him to step right in there and do a great job.”

The Roughnecks will be going for a second consecutive road victory as they visit the Switchbacks after claiming a 1-0 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC in their last outing. Vaudreuil is aiming for his side to take a similar approach that saw the Roughnecks edge the Toros in possession and shots at H-E-B Park as it looks to rise up the Western Conference.

“It’s going to be at altitude, it’ll be just a little bit of a concern, and keep them mentally prepared for what it means to play at altitude,” said Vaudreuil. “We don’t know what we’re going to get weather-wise as well, but we’re going to go in the same way we went into RGV. We’re going to go out and press, we’re going to play like it’s our home game and just go out there and try to dominate the game.”

With home games against Vancouver and Orange County to follow in Week 8 prior to the club’s first game in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on May 17, keeping the squad focused on both the short- and the long-term is a challenge Vaudreuil is looking forward to.

“The job is to keep everyone motivated, so that even though I’m not getting a lot of time now, know that we need you, we know that you’re going to play a big part,” Vaudreuil said. “Whether it’s Open Cup, whether its five games in 14 days, everyone’s got to buy in and believe that no matter what’s going on today, as the season goes on they’re going to play an important part in us making the playoffs and going very deep in the Open Cup.”