Sara Manness was a force for Manitoba at the U-18 national championships. Her performance likely secured a spot on Team Canada, and will have her in contention for tournament MVP honors.
Sara Manness was a force for Manitoba at the U-18 national championships. Her performance likely secured a spot on Team Canada, and will have her in contention for tournament MVP honors.
Advocating for tournament MVP for a player who competed on the seventh place team seems illogical, but Sara Manness' name will certainly come up in those conversations.
Manness, who plays for the Burlington Barracudas in the OWHL and sits among league leaders there led the U-18 Canadian national championships in scoring through the quarterfinals with eight points in four games, and scored Manitoba's first goal in a 2-1 win over Team Atlantic to claim seventh place overall in the tournament.
In the OWHL, Canada's top league for producing NCAA talent, Manness is also dominating with 13 goals and 26 points in only nine games.
Manness combines size and speed, and utilizes an active stick to steal pucks often leading to scoring opportunities. She is not afraid to drive the net and create havoc in dirty areas.
Manness is committed to play her NCAA hockey for the University of Minnesota, and is a likely addition to Canada's U-18 national team for the 2024 World Championships in Switzerland.