The significance of the game and its venue was not lost on the players.
“Honestly, it’s funny because people ask, ‘are you surprised?’ I’m not surprised that we sold out MSG,” Knight said after the game. “It’s a testament to the caliber of play that we have, our fan base, the product that we put together, the work that we do when the lights aren’t bright.
“To finally have this moment, and I hope it’s not a moment, I hope we are back here, it’s truly incredible. Even if we were getting booed or cheered for, it didn’t really matter. It was an awesome moment for women’s hockey and I hope those moments continue.”
Torrent head coach Steve O’Rourke echoed Knight’s sentiment saying the result didn’t matter when “you think of the gravity of the night.”
Fillier said after the game her “pinch me” moment was during the National Anthem.
“I think standing on the blue line during the (national) anthem, I’ve never been in a building like that during the anthem with the fans so engaged, cheering for the Sirens, mid-anthem,” Fillier said. “I had goosebumps looking up in the building and it felt like the longest five minutes of my life. I was so excited for my job.”
Before the game, Los Angeles Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten and King, who are both on the PWHL Advisory Board, spoke about the emotions of taking over the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”
“All the women’s sports are on its way, finally. … I’m pre-Title IX. This is so exciting, you have no idea for me,” King said. “These kids come up to us, parents come up to us, grandparents come up to us. Some of them are crying and thanking all of us for doing this so, and they just, they can dream.”