Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Some leaders lead by example.
Yes, Stewart Jamieson does that.
But he also can get loud on the field when his team needs it.
"I'm pretty vocal, especially when I play," admitted the new captain of the MacEwan Griffins men's soccer team. "Off the field, I'm not as vocal. I'll just do more things, if I'm just asked to do stuff – clean up the pinnies, clean up the cones, volunteer work. I'll do that for my teammates.
"But on the field, I'm very much a barker. I demand a lot. I think that's what a captain needs to do when we're playing. You have to bring the intensity. Adam likes to use (the term) servant leader. I like to think of myself as someone like that."
The third-year defender will lead the Griffins into their home-opening weekend on Friday vs. Lethbridge and Saturday vs. Saskatchewan (both games 2:30 p.m., Clarke Stadium, Canada West TV).
"Stew's the man of character," said Griffins head coach Adam Loga. "He does everything you want in an athlete and, furthermore, as a person. He's accountable to himself, first and foremost, holds others accountable, holds the staff accountable. He leads by example with model behaviour.
"He has an energy to him. He's very competitive, very emotional, which we need to lift the compete and lift the spirit. He checks most boxes. He's easy to like, as well."
Jamieson is one of 12 returning players from last season, although the number swells to 14 with the additions of Michael Enes and Ali Yildiz, who last played for the Griffins in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
Unlike last season where Jamieson missed the first five games with a high ankle sprain and took even longer to get back to 100 percent, he's feeling healthy and ready to rock for the team's opener.
"It's massive," said Jamieson, who also captained Edmonton Scottish in League 1 play this summer. "Last year, even just confidence-wise (it had an effect). When you come back in halfway through the season, everyone's just firing on all cylinders.
"I was just hopping along and trying to make an impact as best (as I could), but it was difficult. With a full preseason, I'm excited to see what I can do."
Jamieson sets the tone with his work rate on the field, but will also play a crucial mentorship role for the Griffins with 16 newcomers to the roster.
"We've been able to bring in some good talent – some mature, experienced players, which isn't always the case when you have freshmen or sophomore players coming in," said Loga. "We've brought in a lot of new faces, but they're experienced. As long as we continue to grow and stay together, we'll have a good run at this."
With key returning players like Chance Carter, Rakan Yassin, Abass Ajibade and Egzon Jeteshi augmented by several promising additions like Hamilton United midfielder Antony Caceres, BTB Academy striker Philip Masri and veteran SAIT goalkeeper transfer Marko Ilich, the season offers much promise.
"Lots of people like to (measure) the vibe of the team, and it feels unbelievable," said Jamieson. "It feels like two years ago when we had that run (to the Canada West playoffs for the first time). Everyone's together. We were together through all of 2021, through ups and downs.
"It feels like this team has that capability – all really mature, all really wanting to work hard. This preseason has been a lot, but we're still clicking along. Everybody wants to show up, everybody's laughing. It's hard to get up in the morning and keep on doing it, but we do it and we do it with smiles on our faces, so it's great."
