T2

T2 announce five player signings ahead of 2018 USL season

T2, Cameron Knowles - Training

PORTLAND, Ore. – T2 have signed midfielder Christian Enriquez, forward Devyn Jambga, goalkeeper Alex Mangels and defenders Josh Phillips and Nathan Smith for the 2018 USL season, it was announced today.

The five signings join a returning group of players that includes defenders Lamar Batista, Harold Hanson and Max Ornstil, midfielders Andre Lewis, Terrell Lowe and Renzo Zambrano, and forward Augustine Williams.

The club will announce additional roster moves heading into the start of the 2018 USL regular season.

Enriquez, 19, played the past two seasons at Cal Poly State University (2016-17), where he made 33 appearances (30 starts) and tallied one goal and two assists. Enriquez was named the 2016 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year, and has trained with the U.S. U-19 Men’s National Team.

Jambga, 23, played the past four seasons at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (2013-17), where he made played in 73 matches (44 starts) and registered 15 goals and six assists. The St. Louis, Mo., native was a 2017 first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection and helped SIUE to the Sweet 16 of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Mangels, 24, joins T2 after playing the 2017 season with NASL side San Francisco Deltas, where he made one start. In 2016, Mangels made 17 appearances for USL side Tulsa Roughnecks FC, while leading the USL in save percentage (.782).

Phillips, 26, played the previous three seasons (2015-17) with USL side Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, where he appeared in 75 matches (73 starts) across all competitions with one goal scored.

Smith, 23, joins Portland after spending last season with the LA Galaxy. Signed by the Galaxy as Homegrown Player on March 2, 2017, Smith made 12 appearances (9 starts) for LA during MLS league play. Smith made nine appearances (8 starts) for the Galaxy’s USL affiliate LA Galaxy II in 2017, while playing in 25 matches (21 starts) during the 2016 USL regular season. At the international level, Smith competed for the U.S. National Team at the U-17 level, including playing at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Batista, 19, featured in 20 matches (19 starts) in 2017 for T2, while also being named No. 8 on the 2017 USL 20 Under 20 list, which highlighted the top young players that competed in the USL during the regular season. Batista made one appearance for the Portland Timbers in 2017, starting against Seattle Sounders FC in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup fourth-round match on June 13, 2017.

Hanson, 18, appeared in 23 matches (21 starts) last season for T2, registering two assists. Hanson started in his debut for the Timbers against Sounders FC in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup fourth-round match on June 13, 2017. The Ontario, Calif., native made his MLS league debut for the Timbers in a 2-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 23, 2017.

Ornstil, 24, played in 19 matches (13 starts) last season for T2, tallying three goals on the year. Additionally, Ornstil played for the Portland Timbers U23 during the 2016 PDL season, where he played in six games and recorded one goal.

Lewis, 23, appeared in 13 matches (13 starts) last year for T2. The Spanish Town, Jamaica, native made one appearance for the Timbers in 2017, starting against Sounders FC in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup fourth-round match on June 13, 2017. Lewis featured in 24 matches (24 starts) for T2 in 2016, registering one goal.

Lowe, 19, returns for a third season with T2 after featuring in 11 matches (5 starts) last season for the club. In 2016, Lowe played in 10 matches (6 starts) after being named the 2015 Timbers Academy Player of the Year.

Zambrano, 23, played in seven matches (7 starts) for T2 last season, registering one assist after signing with the club on Aug. 22, 2017. At the international level, Zambrano has been capped three times by the Venezuelan National Team since making his debut and recording an assist in a 5-0 win over Bolivia in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Nov. 11, 2016.

Williams, 20, played in 29 matches (22 starts) in 2017 for T2, tallying three goals and one assist. The Freetown, Sierra Leone, native made one appearance for the Timbers last season, starting and scoring against Sounders FC in the fourth round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 13, 2017. Additionally, Williams was named No. 12 on the 2017 USL 20 Under 20 list.