he Sirens had the home crowd on their side and harnessed the energy to help push them over the top, eventually winning 2-1 in a shootout thriller. They were the better team throughout the night, winning the shot battle 38-21.
Photo courtesy of PWHL
The PWHL’s New York Sirens hosted the Seattle Torrent on Saturday night in front of 18,006 fans at Madison Square Garden, the most ever for a women’s hockey game in the United States.
The “World’s Most Famous Arena” was completely sold-out, marking a milestone moment for the young league and women’s sports overall.
“Women’s sports is on its way, finally,” said PWHL advisory board member and tennis legend Billie Jean King. “I’m just so happy I’m alive to see this.”
The Sirens had the home crowd on their side and harnessed the energy to help push them over the top, eventually winning 2-1 in a shootout thriller. They were the better team throughout the night, winning the shot battle 38-21.
“To finally have this moment, and I hope it’s not a moment, I hope we’re back here, is truly incredible,” said Torrent forward and American Olympic hero Hilary Knight. “Even if we were getting booed or cheered, it didn’t really matter, it was an awesome moment for women’s hockey and I hope those moments continue. To be able to be part of a game where you set a record is truly outstanding.”
The PWHL’s New York Sirens hosted the Seattle Torrent on Saturday night in front of 18,006 fans at Madison Square Garden, the most ever for a women’s hockey game in the United States.Photo courtesy of PWHL
The crowd was raucous, exploding for big plays made by both teams. With just over two minutes remaining in the first period, Sirens forward Emmy Fecteau got people on their feet with a monster hit. The play was reviewed, and Fecteau was assessed a five-minute major, which comes with an automatic ejection. The Sirens managed to kill the penalty but Torrent forward Alex Carpenter scored just a few seconds later, breaking the deadlock.
The Sirens had two power plays in the second period and tested Torrent goalie Corinee Schroeder with some high-danger chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. They entered the final frame still training 1-0.
The clock continued to tick down with the Torrent holding onto their one goal lead. The tension was heavy in the air until with under five minutes left, Sarah Fillier, the Sirens’ leading scorer, tied the game, sending the building into a frenzy. The crowd erupted as the Sirens finally beat Schroeder and set up an exciting finish.
“As a group, we wanted to get one for this crowd and hear everyone erupt,” said Fillier. “There’s nothing like scoring a goal in front of thousands of fans, a sold-out crowd.”
Overtime finished without any goals before Fillier and Maja Nylén Persson, the latter getting the winner, both scored in the shootout, helping the Sirens get a massive win in front of the record crowd.
“Maya is such a deceptive player with the puck. I think she’s a little unpredictable, what she’s going to do and we saw that again tonight in the shootout,” said Sirens head coach Greg Fargo about his defender who scored the shootout winner.
The Sirens are chasing the final playoff spot in the PWHL standings and Saturday’s overtime win helps their pursuit. They have five regular-season games remaining to move into the league’s top four.
The PWHL currently has eight teams with plans to expand to 10 or 12 for next season. More news surrounding those new franchises will be coming soon, said PWHL advisory board member Stan Kasten before today’s game. The league added organizations in Seattle and Vancouver before this season.
This league year has been filled with significant milestones beyond just the game at Madison Square Garden for the PWHL. The first national broadcast in the United States happened earlier this year, and they will play a game at Boston’s TD Garden, a large arena that holds more than 17,000 fans, later this month.