As the 2016 winter graduation approaches, seniors Amy Thompson and Priscilla Wiggins will officially conclude their time at Stony Brook. While the pair will go out together, their paths to this point have had few similarities. Thompson took a chance on the Seawolves, having never been to the States before, while Wiggins returned for her fifth year to go out on a high note. Despite the different routes, their goals for success on the field, in the classroom and with the team followed the same aim.  
 
Thompson grew up in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, and after a failed attempt at ballet, she discovered and fell in love with soccer. She practiced religiously growing up, using whatever she could find in her yard as cones to dribble around. Wiggins remembers just loving being able to run around with the ball when she first started play. Soccer began as simply a fun activity, and it wasn't until she began playing club ball that she really realized how big of a role the game would play.
 
As both players looked at playing at the next level, Thompson was drawn to a club in Germany where she would face a big challenge in the faster-paced game and increased preparation, but it would only preview what was ahead of her coming to Stony Brook.
 
"In Germany it was a much quicker pace of soccer," Thompson said of her transition to the club. "Practices were harder, we had more coaches and more went into the preparation. I think it prepared me, for the physical aspect, because there was more running involved but still nothing compared to here. The tactical and technical ability that I learned there helped me a lot to adjust here."
 
Wiggins applied to Stony Brook on a whim, following the advice of her high school advisor. While she knew she wanted to play college soccer, and had opportunities at other schools, she took a chance on Stony Brook, knowing she would have to come in and prove herself right away.
 
"After I applied I spoke with the coaches," Wiggins remembers of her decision. "When I came in for preseason my freshman year it was kind of my tryout. I didn't really have the same experience most of most of my teammates did, but the school fit the things I liked and I knew I wanted to play, and it worked out."
 
Thompson knew she wanted to come play college soccer in America, but remembers she wasn't quite sure how to go about making it happen. The opportunity would arise when she was approached about a chance to come to Stony Brook, and despite never visiting, she agreed to further both her career and education. While it was an exciting next step, the transition would present some unforeseen challenges.
 
As a freshman, Wiggins earned a spot on the team but saw limited playing time. While it wasn't completely unexpected, it was a role she was not used to nor wanted. She watched as her team won the America East tournament championship in 2012. Appreciative for the amazing accomplishment, the season made her hungry for more, she wanted to be a bigger part of the equation on the field. She put in work in the offseason and was able to earn a starting job as a sophomore.
 
What would have been each student-athlete's junior season brought along great anticipation, but ended in even bigger challenges. Thompson was unable to play right away and had to miss the 2015 season. She was still able to practice with her teammates, but could not travel or participate in games. Trying to stay positive, she constantly reminded herself to be patient and that there was still a great opportunity in store for her. A year earlier, Wiggins carried a similar mindset as she missed her third season with a torn ACL. She was completely sidelined for the year and although it is a relatively common experience, it's a taxing weight nonetheless.
 
The year away positioned both players for an impressive return. Although Thompson saw a slow start to the 2016 season, she made an immediate impact as she scored the game-winner in her debut against Delaware and helped spark the Seawolves' turnaround.
 
"I didn't expect to get much playing time, I only thought I would be in for about 20 minutes," Thompson said of her first game. "I definitely didn't expect to score the game-winning goal, but I think that was the best moment for me because of the joy and happiness I felt and I was able to release all the frustration as well."
 
Upon her return, Wiggins picked up right where she left off, not missing a single start in her final two seasons at Stony Brook. Though she planned to take her fifth year after redshirting, the coaching change brought on a different outlook. After first meeting Brendan Faherty and coming off of a lackluster end to the season before, she saw a great opportunity to finish her career on a high note.
 
"Getting a new coach was really exciting for me," Wiggins said. "I thought it was a cool opportunity and I just really wanted to be a part of it. The first day [Brendan] came in and talked to us, he made a few jokes, but then had this whole list of things he wanted us to be and had a serious face and I knew he meant business. He had goals he wanted to accomplish and I trusted him from the first day."
 
The 2016 season brought along great reward for the Seawolves, as the team finished with a 9-8-3 record, finishing third in the league. It returned to the America East playoffs for the first time since 2013, stringing together a Division I era program record six-game win streak through league play. Both players earned America East All-Conference honors as Wiggins was named to the first team and Thompson to the second team for their success in their final season.
 
As the season concluded and the semester rolled down, the focus has turned on the next chapter. The pair will split paths, but now carry with them a wealth of accomplishments and experiences that can never be taken back. Thompson will earn a degree on sociology, while Wiggins will receive hers in psychology. The future isn't set in stone for either student-athlete, but there is once again a sense of confidence in the process. Thompson will return home, able to enjoy some much needed time with her family and friends before she pursues more schooling and possible coaching opportunities. Wiggins will head back to California before committing to her next step, which she sees in an environment like the one she came up in, working as both a coach and educator, an experience similar to that at her high school in Pennsylvania.
 
Throughout their careers on the field and in the classroom, as well as with their team, Thompson and Wiggins have channeled the same positive and hopeful mentality to achieve a number of successes. Both traveled a road full of unexpected occurrences and unknowns en-route to some of their biggest accomplishments to date. As they depart from the university itself, they will always have their Stony Brook family and experiences to remember and return to.