TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa Roughnecks FC sat last in the USL’s Western Conference in the 2016 season, scoring the fewest goals while also conceding the most goals in the league.

New Head Coach Dave Vaudreuil, understandably, is aiming to change that as he brings a new sense of vigor and accountability to the club ahead of the new season. And for Vaudreuil, the change starts with him.

“I want to be the leader of the team, I want to set the standard,” Vaudreuil told the club’s YouTube channel on Wednesday. “I’ve been on the teams that have lost a lot of games and have had hard times, I’ve been on the teams that have done pretty well, I’ve won championships. It's a certain level of professionalism that teams in this league, they have to shoot for the highest standard possible, and I think that’s my job, to set the tone, to set the standard and lead the organization as far as the soccer aspects of it.”

Certainly, the experience Vaudreil brings from his playing and coaching career to date will bring a new impetus to the Roughnecks. From playing for Bob Bradley at Princeton, to claiming the first MLS Cup alongside current FC Cincinnati Head Coach John Harkes with D.C. United under Bruce Arena, Vaudreuil’s has gone on to apply the lessons he learned as a player to his time in the coaching ranks.

“Whether things are going well or going poorly at that time, you’ve got to have that same attitude,” said Vaudreuil said. “You’ve got to be calm, you’ve got to instill confidence in your team and in your staff, and everybody – even the people in the stands – they’ve got to know that we’re going to have ups and downs in a season, but in general we know what it takes to win. We have the right mentality and the right philosophy, and we’ll be successful if we can be very consistent, and consistently keep a high level of professionalism on the field and off the field.”