ORLANDO, Fla. - Stony Brook University women's soccer alumna Sofia Manner signed a two-year contract with the Orlando Pride through the 2025 season with an option for 2026, the club announced today.
Manner, a former America East Freshman of the Year and two-time America East Goalkeeper of the Year, joins the Pride after spending the last season with FC Honka in Finland. In her final season in Finland, Manner won the league's Player of the Month award for April and won Goalkeeper of the Month twice, in April and August.
The Seawolf also got nominated for the league's Goalkeeper of the Year and Best Player Award. Manner appeared in 23 games, earning 10 clean sheets in her 2023 season across all competitions and conceded the fewest goals in the Kansallinen Liiga for the year.
"I am immensely grateful for this opportunity to join Orlando Pride, a team I have admired since my youth," Manner said in an Orlando Pride release. "It has been a lifelong dream of mine to contribute to such a renowned organization in women's soccer. The prospect of starting this journey fills me with great enthusiasm, and I am eagerly looking forward to bringing my passion and dedication to the team. I'm ready to put in hard work and help write a new chapter for the Orlando Pride."
One of the most prestigious goalkeepers in Stony Brook women's soccer program history, the native of Finland had a 1.14 career goals against average over her three seasons on the Island, which ranked fourth in program history. She also recorded 20 shutouts, which ranks third all-time, and holds a .796 save percentage during her time with the Seawolves, which ranks ninth all-time.
"Sofia was a standout goalkeeper for our program, performing at the highest level," head coach
Tobias Bischof said. "It's no surprise for me that she is successful at the professional level. All of us here at Stony Brook are proud of her and wishing her best of luck at the Orlando Pride."
In 2017, the goalkeeper made her presence felt immediately on the Island by earning America East Freshman of the Year and guided the Seawolves to 2017 America East Women's Soccer Championship victory, earning the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012.
The goalkeeper followed in the next season by recording a league-high seven clean sheets and finished second in the league with 82 saves to capture America East Goalkeeper of the Year honors and led Stony Brook to the 2018 America East regular season title.
In her final season on the Island, the captain capped off her illustrious career by earning America East Goalkeeper accolades again, propelling the Seawolves to the 2019 America East conference championship.
She also earned Undergraduate Recognition Award for Outstanding Achievement in Athletics, America East Fall Honor Roll, United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region Third Team, United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region, and America East First Team All-Conference honors for her performance on the pitch and in the classroom during her final season.
Manner graduated from Stony Brook with a bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies.
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