FRESHMAN SEASON (2025-26): Sara Manness delivered one of the most accomplished freshman seasons in Clarkson Women’s Hockey history, leading the Golden Knights with 21 goals, 31 assists and 52 points across 35 games. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native also led the team with six game-winning goals, scored four times on the power play and recorded two overtime winners. She finished with a team-best plus-34 rating while placing sixth nationally in both points and assists.
Manness made an immediate impact, collecting points in each of her first five collegiate games and recording 12 assists during the opening month of the season. Her early production earned her ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Month honors and a share of the Hockey Commissioners Association National Rookie of the Month award. Her freshman campaign reached another level during the second half of the season. Manness scored her first collegiate hat trick in Clarkson’s record-setting 15-0 victory over Saint Michael’s and assembled a 15-game point streak in which she produced 17 goals and 13 assists. She scored in 10 consecutive games during that stretch, setting a Clarkson single-season record and surpassing Loren Gabel’s previous mark of nine straight games from the 2017–18 season. The record-setting goal came in a 3-1 victory at Harvard on January 24.
Manness was dominant during conference competition, registering 15 goals and 19 assists for an ECAC-leading 34 points in 22 league games. She scored five game-winning goals against conference opponents and posted a plus-22 rating. Her combination of scoring, playmaking and consistency helped Clarkson finish 20-12-3 overall and earn another place in the ECAC Hockey postseason.
Following the season, Manness became the first freshman in conference history to be named ECAC Hockey Player of the Year. She also earned ECAC Forward of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors while receiving First-Team All-ECAC and unanimous ECAC All-Rookie recognition. Nationally, Manness shared the Julie Chu Women’s National Rookie of the Year Award as one of the top first-year players in Division I hockey.
Clarkson also recognized Manness as its 2026 Female Athlete of the Year. With her record-setting scoring streak, team-leading production and extensive postseason honors, Manness completed an exceptional debut season and immediately established herself as one of the premier players in Clarkson and ECAC Hockey.
BEFORE CLARKSON:
Manness joins the roster as a highly skilled two-way forward with elite offensive instincts and a strong 200-foot game. A native of Winnipeg, she most recently starred for the Burlington Jr. Barracudas, where she posted an impressive 127 points (51 goals, 76 assists) in 46 games during the 2023–24 season. Prior to her time in the OWHL, she played for the Balmoral Hall Blazers and was named JWHL Forward of the Year in 2023.
Internationally, Manness has represented Canada at the 2024 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship and competed in the Canada Winter Games and Summer Series against the United States. She was named MVP of the 2023 National Women’s U18 Championship and helped lead Team Manitoba with nine points in six games at the Canada Winter Games.
THE BACK OF THE HOCKEY CARD:
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Hometown: La Salle, Manitoba
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Position: Forward
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Height: 5-9
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Shoots: Left
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Previous Team: Burlington Jr. Barracudas (OWHL U22 AA)
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Won Gold in 2025 and Bronze in 2024 with Team Canada at U18 Worlds
GET TO KNOW SARA:
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Daughter of April Manness and Jason Manness
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Has two sisters, incoming Golden Knight and twin, Kate and older sister, Alison
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Enjoys tennis, golf, farming
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2025 graduate of Abbey Park High School
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Psychology major at Clarkson
