Lowell, MA - The Pirates entered Saturday night's game against the Tulsa Oilers with a hunger for victory, having suffered defeats in their two preceding games. However, they managed to turn the tide, narrowly clinching a 23-22 win over the Oilers at the Tsongas Center.

Both teams were experiencing a losing streak, as the Oilers (3-6) were on a three-game losing streak coming into this game. Therefore, securing a victory was crucial for the Pirates (6-3), who were in dire need of a confidence boost, particularly after acquiring five new players just the week before.

"A win is a win," head coach Rod Miller said. "I don't care if we're playing the number-one team in the league or the last-place team in the league. We needed a win; it wasn't about anybody else. We needed to get back in the win column, and we did that this evening. It wasn't pretty, but sometimes ugly victories are just as good." 

The Pirates kicked off the game and immediately turned to their workhorse running back, who had previously scored five touchdowns against the Northern Arizona Wranglers. Robinson took the ball twice at the start of the series, gaining 15 yards. A few plays later, faced with a fourth and three situation, Bennifield connected with Robinson on an option route for a first down, positioning the Pirates at the six-yard line with a fresh set of downs. Bennifield then carried the ball into the end zone, marking his tenth rushing touchdown of the season and the fortieth of his career. This touchdown gave the Pirates an early lead of 6-0, as the recently signed Calum Sutherland missed the point after. 

"When Bennifield uses his feet, it helps us," Miller said. "So, the opportunities that we're getting on some of the blocks and bringing down up front, sometimes we had to use his feet, and on that play, it just happened to work."

On the first play of Tulsa's opening drive, Andre Sale went deep to Alexis Rosario, who has the fifth-most receiving yards this season. They connected on a 28-yard diving catch; shortly after, Sale found Montero Dubose in the endzone. After the Oilers kicker, Michael Hall, missed the point after attempt, the game was tied up 6-6 with just over four minutes remaining in the first quarter. 

"That missed point after was crucial," Miller said. "It's a new kid, so you had to learn the ins and outs. But it just goes to show that regardless of whether you're a new kicker or a guy that's been around for a while, like their kicker, kickers are going to miss kicks. Luckily, we made the ones we needed to, and they kept us in the game."

The Pirates next offensive series began with Bennifield losing the ball during a rushing play, being stripped by Noah Lyles. Fortunately, Jimmie Robinson swiftly secured possession. Despite this, their momentum waned, leading to a stalled drive. Facing fourth and eleven, the Pirates opted for a 57-yard field goal attempt. However, the Oilers blocked the kick, recovering it in the endzone for a safety. As a result, the Oilers surged ahead 8-6.

"It wasn't a good series," Miller said. "They caught us off guard offensively, and they made some plays. I thought their defensive line dominated our offensive line in the first half. That was one of the talks at halftime. And that's one of the situations they dominated us. We gave up an inside rush, and that has nothing to do with the kicker. But you can't fault the kicker; a lot of stuff that happened wasn't his fault."

On the first play of the Oilers fresh drive, Sale completed a pass to Dubose for a three-yard gain. However, Devin Hafford dislodged the ball, leading to a turnover that the Pirates promptly recovered, relinquishing possession back to Massachusetts.

However, Tulsa and Massachusetts would end up exchanging turnovers as Bennett Harvey intercepted Bennifield's first pass of the drive. In just a few plays, the Oilers capitalized with a touchdown on a two-yard rush by Bennett Harvey. This score extended the Oilers lead to 15-6.

Beginning their possession from deep within their own territory, the Pirates embarked on a lengthy drive, progressing from the Massachusetts five-yard line all the way to the endzone. During this drive, Thomas Owens achieved his 250th career catch. The drive culminated with Robinson's four-yard rushing touchdown. Choosing to attempt a two-point conversion, Bennifield successfully connected with Thomas Owens, narrowing the gap to just one point, with the Pirates trailing 15-14.

"We talk about that all year long," Miller said. "This game is 33 percent offense, 33 percent defense, 33 percent special teams, and one percent luck. And during that play, that was that one percent luck. We were in a position to make it, and I'm glad we did. The ball went our way on that one."

The following Oilers drive sputtered to a halt, resulting in a turnover on downs after just four plays. Massachusetts regained possession with 1:12 remaining in the first half. The Pirates positioned kicker Sutherland for a field goal attempt, but his 42-yard kick was off target. With a brief window, the Oilers attempted their own field goal, but Hall's kick veered wide right as the first-half clock expired.

"We just tried to keep them off the field because we knew they were going to have the ball start in the second half," Miller said. "We wanted to make sure we try to limit as many scores as we could. You know, and unfortunately, they weren't able to get down the field. And luckily, we got a stop at the end. That missed field goal kept us in the game."

The Oilers tried a deep pass to kick off the second half, targeting Traville Calvin, who made a diving catch for a 25-yard gain. However, the catch was ruled incomplete after Rod Miller successfully challenged the play. Undeterred, the Oilers sought to widen their lead. Sale completed an 11-yard pass to Dubose, followed by a 17-yard touchdown strike to Jonathan Nance on the subsequent play. This pushed the Oilers ahead further, now leading 22-14.

Bennifield came out slinging the ball on the ensuing drive, initially connecting with Teo Redding for a five-yard gain before finding Thomas Owens on an 18-yard pass. Another completion to Owens added six yards to the tally, setting up a third down with just two yards to go. To execute the crucial play, the Pirates substituted Quincy Patterson at quarterback, utilizing his imposing six-foot-three, 240-pound frame for a rushing touchdown. However, an unsportsmanlike penalty marred the celebration, forcing a point after the attempt from 26 yards out. Unfortunately, Sutherland's kick missed, leaving the Pirates trailing by two, 22-20.

"When he played at Virginia Tech and was at North Dakota State, that's what he was," Miller said. "He's a big and powerful running back, almost like a Cam Newton type of running back. He gives us the best chance of scoring on the goal line with our quarterback. So that was a choice we made to put him in, and it worked."

The Pirates defense stepped up, halting the Tulsa offense as they failed to gain ground and turned the ball over on downs. With the drive commencing at midfield, Massachusetts swiftly advanced towards the three-yard line. Bennifield's six-yard rush and Robinson's 11-yard dash contributed to the progress. Bennifield attempted another rush, reaching the one-yard line, but an incident involving Romon Morris forcibly removing Bennifield's helmet led to Morris's ejection and a fresh set of downs for Massachusetts.

Despite this opportunity, the Oilers defense held firm, forcing a fourth down. Sutherland successfully converted a 22-yard field goal, marking his first career field goal in the IFL. This score propelled Massachusetts back into the lead, 23-22, with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

"It was good for him," Miller said. "We told him, to keep your head up and that we're going to need you later in this game, it's going to come back. And sure enough, that gave us the win. So, that was really good for him and for his confidence. Like I told him, it's the first game. Don't think he's doing something that nobody else has done. He's just going to keep getting better."

The Oilers gained solid field position after Nance's 30-yard kickoff return. However, following two pass interference penalties against Massachusetts, the ball was positioned on the four-yard line. As the Pirates Defense intensified, Jaiden Woodbey tackled Harvey for a one-yard loss, and Calvin Bundage executed a nine-yard sack by leaping over an offensive lineman. This sequence led to a fourth-and-nine situation for the Oilers offense.

Amidst the electric atmosphere and the game hanging in the balance with only a minute left, Tulsa positioned themselves for a crucial field goal attempt, which narrowly veered to the right, failing to convert. The Pirates got the ball and were stopped in their attempt to just run the clock out. Eventually, kicking the ball off to Tulsa with 35 seconds left in the game. 

Sale connected with Dubose for a gain of 13 yards, then Dubose added another yard on the subsequent play. With 10 seconds left on second and nine, Sale targeted Noah Lyles, but the pass was intercepted by Cyrus Fagan, who then kneeled down, sealing the Pirates 23-22 victory.

"We had those two pass interference calls, but Fagan just bounced back and said, we're going to close out and make a play for you, coach," Miller said. "And he made a play for us. That's what I like about those guys. Even if something happens, they don't let the adversity get to them. They just kept fighting. Cause they knew we had a mission."

About the Massachusetts Pirates:
The 2021 United Bowl Champions; Massachusetts Pirates are members of the Indoor Football League (IFL) and play their home games at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. For more information on the Massachusetts Pirates please call (508)452-MASS (6277), email contact@masspiratesfootball.com or visit http://www.masspiratesfootball.com. Follow the Pirates on Facebook via Facebook.com/MAPirates, Instagram @mass.pirates, and Twitter @mass_pirates.