Sirens Defeat Seattle Torrent In Historic Sold-Out Game At MSG
New York Sirens nabbed a 2-1 shootout win on Saturday, but the night was a stunning victory for women’s hockey all the way around.
Featured Image: courtesy of PWHL and New York Sirens
Call it prophetic: four weeks ago, PHWL’s Sirens posted casually on IG: “Don’t mind us. We’re just over here breaking records and making history.” And that’s exactly what they did on Saturday. In a sold-out game at Madison Square Garden that had the fanbase on their feet, not only did the New York Sirens conquer in a 2-1 shootout win over the Seattle Torrent, they also set a U.S. arena attendance record with a crowd of 18,006 fans, marking a milestone for women’s hockey.
As TOGETHRX put it: women’s sports fans fill every space they’re given.
Tennis legend Billie Jean King did the honors with the ceremonial puck drop, along with PWHL advisory board member and former tennis player Ilana Kloss and LSU basketball’s Flau’jae Johnson. Torrent forward Alex Carpenter scored the first goal of the game at 2:51 of the second period. Siren’s star forward Sarah Fillier tied things up with 3:45 remaining, sending the game into overtime—scoring one of the Sirens’ two shootout goals. Defender Maja Nylén Persson netted the shootout winner, and goalie Kayle Osborne topped off a 20-save performance by putting the brakes on four of five shootout attempts for her ninth win of the season.
These were but a few moments of a night to remember.
“It means the world,” Sirens’ Kayle Osborne told the press. “… you just can’t put it into words to have all those people show up for us tonight and show their support for not only the Sirens, but women’s hockey. I think it’s just a huge step for us and for everyone who plays, and young girls that watch. I think it’s just a huge step to see all those people supporting here tonight.”
Related: A Night With The New York Sirens
Seattle Captain Hilary Knight wasn’t surprised that the game was a sell-out. In the spirit of true sport(wo)man ship, she saw the entire event as the landmark celebratory event that it was – boos and cheers aside: “It’s a testament to the caliber of play that we have, our fanbase, the product that we put together and the work that we do when the lights aren’t bright. So, to finally have this moment, and I hope it’s not a moment, I hope we’re back here, it’s truly incredible.”
This was the Sirens’ first win in two shootouts this season. New York has now won three shootouts on home ice in three seasons. The team notes that each win has occurred in a different NHL venue, including UBS Arena on Feb. 21, 2024, Prudential Center on Jan. 15, 2025, and Madison Square Garden on April 4. Saturday’s game was also the New York Sirens’ debut at the iconic venue in their namesake city; typically, they’ve played home games at New Jersey’s Prudential Center.
Sirens Head Coach Greg Fargo on the team’s young players stepping up to the moment on the ice: “I think that’s been a story with our team since day one. We’re a young group and we knew there was going to be some kind of a learning curve for our group, and we’re still going through that to a certain extent,” he told the press. “But I’m really proud with how this team’s developed over the course of the season. I know there’s only five games left in the regular season, but it feels like we’ve got a lot more to give, and we’re not anywhere near done.”
