KelownaNow’s 2023 athlete of the year: UBCO’s Stefanie Young

In what felt like the blink of an eye – Stefanie Young’s collegiate soccer career came to a close this past fall in Saskatchewan.

Back on the field after a hiatus due to injury, the fourth-year midfielder made a mark on UBCO's women's soccer program in her final season.

Young scored the program's first hat trick (she would finish the season with three), is UBCO’s single game, season and all-time scoring leader, and helped lead the team to their first-ever quarter-final playoff berth.

But to get to this point, where her name is all over the UBCO record books and her eyes are set on playing in Europe, it was a journey.

After graduating from Okanagan Mission Secondary, the midfielder started her collegiate career at the University of Manitoba.

In 16 games played, the OKM product recorded five goals and seven assists in her first and only season in the Prairies.

“I wanted to experience something outside of Kelowna and I went there for one year, didn't necessarily enjoy living over there and missed my mountains,” Young told KelownaNow with a chuckle.

Young then made her way back home to Kelowna in 2020 and with the help of the pandemic, the transition to her new team was “a little bit easier.”

She made her UBCO debut in the fall of 2021 and it was one to remember, recording two goals in a 3-2 loss.

Young would injure her knee early into the team’s third game of the season against the Thompson Rivers WolfPack.

But she pushed on, playing in eight more games and setting a program record for goals in a season with five.

Young then had surgery on her knee, nearly four years to the day she previously had knee surgery while in high school.

Her knee kept her out for the 2022 season and after rehab and training, she was back on the field, this time in League 1 Ontario this past summer.

“I think that really set me up for having such a great season that I did,” she explained.

“I got over there, it had been so long since I played a soccer game, so I was going over there just having fun, living with three other teammates from UBCO and playing for our old assistant coach.”

Her time in Ontario gave her confidence heading into the 2023 season, she added that it was probably the fittest she had been after playing several games over the summer and she was not worried about her knee.

Heading into the 2023 season and her final year on the UBCO pitch, Young had an individual and team goal.

She wanted to break her scoring record and on the team side – get into the playoffs.

“I just had the feeling, I really think we had the squad, the girls, it was the right time for us to make playoffs and we just had to keep working,” added Young.

W⚽️- 75’

YOUNG SCORES A HATRICK🔥🔥

8-0 | #GoHeatGo | #UBCOvsUNBC pic.twitter.com/5UhxDTl0CC

— UBCO Heat (@UBCOHeat) September 10, 2023

It would take Young five games to break her scoring record and along with surpassing her previous best, she recorded the program’s first hat trick in an 8-1 win against the University of Northern British Columbia.

“It (breaking the record early) allowed me to focus on the team results as opposed to my own and just really enjoy my last season essentially,” Young explained.

To add the cherry on top at the UNBC game, Young would move into first place as the program’s all-time scoring leader.

“It's crazy to think, I'd like to think I knew I was capable but to actually see it as just like, ah, it's awesome…it's really seeing all the hard work I put in this past year really come to fruition,” she added.

Young would continue to find the back of the net, finishing the season with 14 goals, helping the program clinch its very first Canada West quarter-finals berth in the playoffs.

As the only player on the team with playoff experience, Young helped lead the Heat as they fell 1-0 in their postseason match against the Saskatchewan Huskies.

“It was a special experience,” said Young.

“I wish we could have gone further, but nonetheless, it was huge just to get there, I couldn't be more proud.”

With her final collegiate season coming to a close and nearing her academic graduation, Young has her eyes set on playing in Europe.

“Playing soccer over there has been a dream for me,” she explained.

“It is kind of crazy that I’m at a point in my life where I was hoping to be when I was younger, seeing if there's any opportunities for me to play after university.”

This past season will be one the Heat and Young remember for some time as the program set a record for wins (eight), goals (30) and goals against (20).

Kelowna’s Abigail Taneda tied her single-season record of five assists and keeper Talia Gagnon broke the Heat benchmark with eight wins.

“I couldn't be more grateful for my team and obviously the UBCO staff,” added Young.

“It's been great.”

Be sure to also check out KelownaNow's newsmaker of the year and business of the year!