STONY BROOK, N.Y. — The Stony Brook women's soccer team had a sendoff befitting one of the program's most valuable players on Friday.

As fall practice wrapped up, head coach Tobias Bischof and the Seawolves presented record-setting goalkeeper Sofia Manner with a framed photo and her jersey in a ceremony inside the Stony Brook Indoor Training Center.

Manner is graduating in December with a bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies and intends to return to her native Finland rather than use her senior season and compete with the Seawolves in the spring.

"You made this a family," Manner told her teammates. "You made it home."

Said Bischof during the ceremony: "We can't replace her. We won't even try." 

Manner ultimately expects to play professional soccer — potentially in Australia, and otherwise in her native Europe.

"My dream would be Australia, but I don't know if it's too far," Manner said. "Maybe Italy or France — somewhere a little bit closer, and warmer than Finland."

Manner's name is scattered throughout the program's record book.

Her 1.14 career goals against average over three seasons ranks fourth in program history, trailing only Cara Gallagher (0.92, 2015-17), Marisa Viola (1.01, 2006-09) and Emily Doherty (1.10, 2015). Manner's 20 shutouts rank third, six shy of matching Viola's record. And Manner's .796 save percentage is ninth all time.

Manner was named America East Freshman of the Year in 2017, then became a two-time America East Goalkeeper of the Year.

For her junior season, Manner earned a Stony Brook University Undergraduate Recognition Award for Outstanding Achievement in Athletics, United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region third-team honors, United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region and first-team All-America East.

If she continues her studies at the graduate level, her intended focus is digital media.

Manner won a pair of America East championships in three seasons with the Seawolves.

"Sofia is an outstanding player and person," Bischof said. "She truly will be missed on and off the field. Her presence on the field led to her receiving numerous awards, and I'm sure will translate into her being a successful professional player. I can't wait to follow her professional career and wish her all the best."

Her route to Stony Brook had been accidental. Manner had befriended another young lady in Finland back in the fall of 2015 who worked as an au pair in Florida. The father of that American family knew a member of Stony Brook's women's soccer staff at the time.

"Somehow we connected through him," Manner recalled. "I didn't even talk to any other schools. Right away I was like, 'OK, I'm going to Stony Brook.'"