A hometown kid. A true talent. And a player who stepped up when the lights were the brightest.
It is hard to tell the story of UNBC Men’s Soccer without talking about Owen Stewart. His growth as a player helped him leave his name all over the UNBC record books, while helping to elevate the program to new heights.
A highly regarded player in Prince George, Stewart rose through the youth ranks competing for PGYSA.
After a year with the Calgary Foothills program, he returned to Duchess Park Secondary School and was recruited ahead of the 2016 Canada West campaign by UNBC head coach Steve Simonson.
Stewart’s rookie campaign did not disappoint, as he set the tone for a tremendous career with his first season.
He started 15 of the Timberwolves’ 16 games, scoring his first career goal on September 4th 2016 against UBC, and notching his first game-winning goal on September 18th against the Winnipeg Wesmen.
“Owen came in as a starter in his very first year and never looked back,” said Simonson. He was immediately a versatile attacking player for us. You could see how much pride he had in playing for his hometown team.”
Stewart finished the season third on the TWolves in goals, trailing only program leaders Tofa Fakunle and Francesco Bartolillo; two players who would make a major impact on the young midfielder’s career.
In 2017-2018, the Timberwolves took a big step forward, earning the first Canada West playoff berth in program history with a 5-5-6 record.
“As a young player, he was so receptive to information. He always wanted to learn, and he was a sponge,” said Tofa Fakunle about his young teammate. “I genuinely respected that a ton. He was a really good footballer, and he was starting games for us and contributing. Despite being a young player, his attitude to succeed pushed guys like me to be better.”
Stewart’s second year was a reunion of sorts, as well, as he was joined on the Timberwolves roster by his older brother Liam Stewart, who was returning from the University of Washington.
“The chance to play together and play for our hometown was special,” said Liam. “Owen was one of our most important players. His top two traits, for me, were his first touch and his quickness with the ball. He might not outpace you over 50 yards, but that five yard acceleration was special. It gave him the space to pick a pass or bear a defender one-on-one. For me, it was and will always be a great privilege to have played alongside my best friend and represent out school.”
Stewart continued to establish himself in 2018-2019, as the Timberwolves moved to Masich Palce for their home games. It was fitting that it was the Prince George product became the answer to a trivia question, scoring the first goal in the stadium’s history on September 14th, 2018 against the Victoria Vikes.
“He has been watching big-time players his whole life, and I think studying the game has made him that much more effective,” said longtime teammate Alex Nielson. “Owen is a big energy guy. Everything he does, he is bringing the energy. I think, because of that, he is accustomed to big moments. It doesn’t really phase him because he is larger than life at most times any ways. Owen was very good at seeing big game players and being like them as much as possible.”
He would play all 15 games, starting 13 of them, and helping the TWolves to the first winning season in program history with a 5-4-6 record.
The 2019-2020 campaign was the first season without program stalwarts such as Bartolillo, Fakunle, Gordon Hall, and Conrad Rowlands, Stewart was then leaned on as a leader. He responded with his best season yet, registering six points and pacing UNBC in points.
In 2021-2022, with conference play back on the schedule, he was tremendous in his senior season. His flair for the big moment was on full display on September 25th, when the Timberwolves were visiting the powerful UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver. UNBC trailed the T-Birds 3-0 with less than 10 minutes to play, but it was the PG boy who propelled them to one of the finest comebacks in Canada West history, scoring a pair of goals in a dramatic and memorable 3-3 draw.
After starting all eight of the Timberwolves’ games, Stewart suffered a leg injury in a matchup with the UBCO Heat. He proceeded to play through immense pain, training all week and inspiring his teammates by starting the following weekend against the UFV Cascades. It was after that game that an x-ray would reveal he had been playing on a broken leg.
Stewart concluded his historic career with his name etched throughout the Timberwolves record books. Following his final game in green and gold, he sat second in program history in games with 69 – good for top-five in Canada West history. He was also top-five in goals, assists, points, and game-winning goals.
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