When Cal Jennings came to the Tampa Bay Rowdies from Las Vegas, it was a chance to get more consistent playing time. The move paid off quickly in goals. After two seasons with 11 goals each with the Lights, Jennings has scored 19 and 16 goals in his two seasons with Tampa Bay. He credits the team and his playing time for the big uptick in scoring. “I think that I knew I would be joining a great organization here in Tampa and I also think a lot of it has to do with consistency. When I was with Las Vegas I wasn’t playing as many games in a season, so I wouldn’t be in rhythm and build trust in my teammates.”

In his first season with Tampa, he helped lead the team into a second-seed playoff spot, but that run ended early with a first-round loss. In 2024, the Rowdies finished the regular season 6th in the division, but Jennings has high hopes for this year’s squad in the playoffs. “I think we’ve picked up a lot of resiliency, especially with how the end of this season was rather difficult with the hurricanes, playing games in a lot of different locations. But over the last couple of games, I can feel the belief in this team growing. I feel like we’re in a good place and ready to face the next match in the playoffs.” That good place resulted in a first round win over 4th-seed Detroit City last week.

That match was a tight one, with Jennings scoring the opener for Tampa before they conceded an own goal. The match eventually went to penalties, where the Rowdies won 3-1, but regardless of the win, the toughness of the match left Jennings reflecting on how the squad pulled through and believed in themselves. “To get the first goal was massive and to fight through it when the crowd is not behind you. To even have the belief after giving up the tying goal and going into penalties, it shows the belief on this team. We found a way to get the result.”

“I go into every match wanting to score and I’m disappointed if I come out and haven’t,” Jennings responded when asked about his approach to matchday. “I’m really focused on what pays out - getting in good positions, making good runs behind, finding ways to connect with my teammates on the field - that’s what gets me goals.” Since his arrival in Tampa, his approach has been a key part of the Rowdies’ attack and the league is taking note. This season, Jennings was voted onto the USL’s Best Eleven by fellow members of the USL Players Association. He and Manuel Arteaga have put up blistering numbers in attack for Tampa Bay. The duo have notched 33 goals and led the Rowdies into the second round of the playoffs, facing Charleston Battery on the road. While the season series between these two Eastern Division opponents is even at 1-1, most expect Charleston to advance.

Cal is quick to point out that his team knows they are the underdogs, just as they were in the first round. “We’re approaching this match in a very similar way to how we approached last weekend against Detroit. It’s going to be a fight and Charleston is a very talented team.” But regardless of their opponents’ talent and the difference in seeding, Jennings feels comfortable in his role. “They’re the higher seed and they’re hosting, all the pressure should be on them. We’re really together and we’re in good form and that’s exactly where we want to be. No one is expecting us to win except us. That’s where we like to be.”

If Tampa Bay hopes to get through the East, they’ll have to be road warriors throughout and Jennings relishes the thought of winning on another team’s field. “We really wish we could have hosted this game, but we’ll go on the road and win as many games as we can. Maybe we’ll hoist the trophy in someone else’s stadium and then bring it home so our fans can celebrate.” He laughed as he finished that thought, almost acknowledging how hard the task is in front of his team. But in another moment, he calmly said, “It’s not a success unless you win the whole thing.”

Tampa Bay will face the Battery on Sunday in Charleston.

- Dan Vaughn