STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The 2019-20 Stony Brook women's basketball season is officially here. The Seawolves will kick-off the year with a road trip to St. Francis Brooklyn on Tuesday, Nov. 5 and then will host Manhattan for its home opener at the Island Federal Arena on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6:31 p.m. The team will then "Battle for the Island" against Island rival Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y. on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.
 
One player in particular who is looking forward to the season is redshirt junior Oksana Gouchie-Provencher (Montreal, Canada).
 
"I am super excited for this upcoming season," Gouchie-Provencher said. "Our team has put in so much blood, sweat and tears into the off-season and preseason and we are ready to get after it. We have a lot of threats on the floor this year and I think this is the most diverse team I've been a part of. Everyone is stepping up and I am just super excited for our squad this year. The strides we have made as a program are unquestionable. We're in the process of becoming elite and need to focus and dial-in because the season is here and I can't wait to get started knowing I will be doing it with this group of women."
 
Some assets that Gouchie-Provencher will bring to the table in pursuit towards this elite status are her veteran leadership, experience and high confidence level. However, this confidence wasn't something she always had during her time as a Seawolf. 
 
"Unfortunately, I did not have the smoothest transition coming into college," Gouchie-Provencher admitted. "Having to redshirt due to medical reasons my freshman year and not having the greatest mental health my sophomore year took a toll on my confidence and well-being."


 
Despite the setbacks, the forward has persevered through this adversity and credits the support and encouragement from her team and fellow student-athletes to building her to the person and athlete she is today.
 
"The amount of support I had from my team, coaching staff and other student-athletes was undeniable," Gouchie-Provencher stated. "You really just have to believe in yourself and find that group of positive people who are going to support you through the good, the bad and the ugly. The summer of my junior year is when my life turned upside down for the better. I found that I was going to gain my confidence through hard work, dedication and putting extra work in."
 
The Montreal, Canada, native's third season was certainly a breakout one to say the least. After averaging 8.4 minutes per game as a redshirt sophomore, Gouchie-Provencher started all 31 games the following season in 2018-19. On the road against New Hampshire, she exploded for a career-high 29 points and was the team's top blocker with 42 stops – the sixth-most in a single season in program history.


 
"I spent so many hours repping game shots and getting extra lifts in that I started to see a difference not only in my body but in my mental health and confidence," Gouchie-Provencher said. "That's why I think I had such a breakout year last year. It's not always easy and you go through slumps but that is what makes basketball so fun when you overcome those challenging obstacles followed by a smile on your face. My confidence coming into my fourth year has never been so high and I have everyone in the Stony Brook Athletic Department to thank for it."