The Portland Timbers 2 have suffered defeats in each of their opening two games of the 2017 USL season, but the play of goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh has provided a silver lining as the club prepares for Sunday’s Cascadia clash with Seattle Sounders FC 2.

A standout a season ago for the club, McIntosh has recorded a USL-high 12 saves in contests against Real Monarchs SLC and the Swope Park Rangers. The former U.S. U20 international was in particularly sharp form on Wednesday night as his reflex stops to deny big opportunities for Swope Park in the first half kept it a one-goal game at the halftime break.

“We’re a little bit numb to it because we’re used to seeing him make those sort of saves all the time,” said T2 Head Coach Andrew Gregor. “He did well tonight and kept us in the game, especially in the first half when we didn’t manage defensively our backline that well. It’s always good to have a player of his caliber to be able to solve some problems when we get into them.”

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McIntosh – who signed with the Timbers’ MLS squad this offseason after his strong 2016 season – made fingertip saves to deny Kharlton Belmar the opening goal of the game, and another shortly after on Felipe Hernandez kept the game scoreless until Belmar notched his second goal in as many games after a good move down the right gave McIntosh little chance. Another pair of saves on Nansel Selbol later in the half, which included a fine one-on-one stop after the forward pierced the back line, added to his highlight reel.

“I think it comes down to preparation, we knew what our plan was and what I needed to be prepared for, and I think it’s just execution on the field and that’s my job,” McIntosh said. “I’m happy to have been able to do that today.”

Portland completes a stint of three games in eight days to kick off the season on Sunday looking to not only earn its first points of the season, but also break the hold Seattle has had in the USL edition of the longstanding rivalry between the two clubs. S2 has won seven of eight games between the teams over the past two years in the league, including all four games at Starfire Stadium.

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With T2 having had aspirations of a playoff berth going into the new season after missing out on goal difference a year ago, an attacking performance to match McIntosh’s heroics in goal so far would go a long way to the club’s first win in 2017.

“I think with each game there’s been positives and there’s been negatives, but I think the more we can grow in the positive things and the more we can do them consistently, I think those will outweigh the negative things that happen every game,” said McIntosh. “It happens to every team and the more we can focus on improvements, the quicker we’ll get to where we want to be.”