(Image Credit: Dan O'Connor)
Timberwolves

Young shines as Timberwolves earn draw against Golden Bears

Oct 2, 2026 | 2:35 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — The UNBC Timberwolves men’s soccer team battled the Alberta Golden Bears to a hard-fought 2-2 draw Friday afternoon at Masich Place Stadium in Prince George.

Kaiden Young led the Timberwolves attack with a goal and an assist, earning Mr. Mikes Player of the Game honours. Young helped UNBC open the scoring in the 13th minute when he set up Luis Hirsch, who finished clinically to give the home side a 1-0 lead.

Alberta responded seven minutes later as Prince Amanda capitalized on a rebound after a pair of strong saves by Timberwolves goalkeeper Owen Shum. The tie didn’t last long, however, as Young produced the highlight of the match in the 29th minute. After receiving a pass from Luis Beck, Young turned and blasted a shot into the top corner to restore UNBC’s lead at 2-1.

The Timberwolves carried that advantage into halftime thanks to several key defensive plays. Pipeijn van der Ende recorded multiple blocks inside the penalty area while Shum made another important save late in the opening half.

The second half turned into a defensive battle before Alberta found the equalizer in the 67th minute. Patrick Kondraciuk scored for the Golden Bears with Anson Minty drawing the assist.

Shum was outstanding down the stretch, making a series of game-saving stops to preserve the draw. The UNBC keeper denied multiple Alberta scoring chances in the final 20 minutes, including a spectacular diving save in stoppage time.

The match also featured a milestone moment for the Timberwolves as Prince George product Xavier Rocha made his UNBC debut.

The Timberwolves return to action Sunday at Masich Place Stadium when they host the Mount Royal Cougars. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.