The New York Sirens and Seattle Torrent put on an exciting show Sunday at American Airlines Center in Dallas — part of the PWHL 2025-26 Takeover Tour. New York got the better of Seattle in a thrilling back-and-forth affair, winning 4-3 behind a hat trick from rookie forward Casey O’Brien.
Needless to say, it was a memorable one for O’Brien, whom the Sirens selected No. 3 overall in the 2025 PWHL Draft. After scoring her first professional goal in the first period, the 24-year-old delivered the game-winning score at 16:40 of the final frame, cementing her first career hat trick and a legendary performance with one shot.
O’Brien is one of three players to record a hat trick this season, joining Sirens teammate Taylor Girard and Minnesota Frost forward Kendall Coyne Schofield.
It helped the Sirens (3-0-0-5) snap a four-game losing streak, and was their first win since Nov. 29. Seattle fell to 3-0-3-1, traveling outside the Pacific Northwest for the first time in its inaugural season.
“I’m mostly just happy with the fact that we won the game and we did the little things right. I’m just really proud of the group and how we finished,” O’Brien told sidelines reporter Abby Labar postgame. “I think it shows that we can get through anything. The vibes were never down in the locker room. We all believed in each person in the room. To be able to come out here and have a game like this — it means everything to us.”
New York trailed on three different occasions, beginning at 5:33 of the first when Torrent forward Danielle Serdachny took it coast-to-coast to score the game-opening goal.
With a 4-on-4 in effect, Serdachny — the all-time leading points scorer at Colgate University — cruised through center ice, gained the edge on defender Allyson Simpson, and beat her former college teammate, Sirens goalie Kayle Osborne, with a shot above the blocker. It marked her first goal of the season after she recorded eight points (two goals, six assists) as a highly touted rookie with the Ottawa Charge in 2024-25.
New York had a golden opportunity to respond after Seattle’s Aneta Tejralova received a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for a check to the head on Sirens forward Sarah Fillier. Moments earlier, Fillier dished out a big hit on Tejralova, and the third-year defender was quick to return the favor.
As Fillier glanced down when carrying the puck through open ice, Tejralova hurtled in and leveled New York’s star forward, driving her shoulder into Fillier’s helmet. After video review, officials determined that Tejralova made contact with Fillier’s head and ejected her from the game.
Fillier was slow to get up and skated off to the locker room, although she returned before Tejralova’s major expired. But even with Fillier back on the ice, New York couldn’t capitalize on the extended power play. The Sirens fired nine shots on goal during the five-minute major, and rookie goalie Hannah Murphy stopped each one.
O’Brien took matters into her own hands shortly thereafter at even strength, speeding ahead on the rush after a well-placed saucer pass from Elle Hartje. As Torrent defender Marie Keopple closed in on the rookie, O’Brien sniped the bottom of the crossbar with a lightning-quick shot that tied the game 1-1 at 18:23 of the first.
It didn’t stay even for long. One minute and five seconds later, Mikyla Grant-Mentis punched a rebound past Osborne at 19:28, and the Torrent carried a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Once again, O’Brien provided the equalizer — this time in the second period. In the waning seconds of a slashing penalty on former Sirens forward Alex Carpenter, Paetyn Levis corralled the rebound off a Fillier shot and fed it backwards to O’Brien with a slick no-look pass. The Sirens’ rookie quickly deposited it into a gaping net at 13:01, giving New York’s struggling power-play unit its second goal in as many games.
The score held at 2-2 until the third, when Lexie Adzija’s shot trickled past Osborne less than two minutes into the frame.
This time, a different rookie pulled the Sirens back even. Fresh out of the penalty box, Maddi Wheeler sprang free for a jack-in-the-box goal at 9:33, lifting the puck over Murphy’s blocker on the breakaway.
“I thought that was a really pivotal moment for us,” coach Greg Fargo said postgame. “It changed momentum for us.”
Wheeler’s first PWHL goal set up O’Brien to play the hero in regulation. A hooking penalty by Serdachny gave the Sirens their fifth power play of the game with 4:34 remaining in the third period, and put New York in prime position to claim a regulation win.
During a chaotic flurry, O’Brien scooped up a rebound on the right hash of the left circle. Spinning around, she quickly fired a shot on net, sending it through Murphy’s five-hole at 16:40. Osborne held firm for the final 3:20, ensuring O’Brien’s third and final tally as the game-winner.
O’Brien entered play with two points, both on assists. After her hat trick, she’s now tied with Wheeler and Boston Fleet defender Haley Winn for the second-most points among rookie skaters.
New York recorded 41 shots on goal, reaching the 40-shot mark for the second game in a row and the third time this season. It proved too much for even the red-hot Murphy to handle, as Seattle’s promising rookie goalie suffered the first loss (3-0-1) of her PWHL career.
Osborne stopped 30 of 33 shots in her League-leading eighth start. The Sirens are the only team in the PWHL that has yet to use a backup goalie this season.
Sirens alternate captain Jaime Bourbonnais recorded a career-high three points, with a trio of assists, after going scoreless in her first five games of 2025-26. She is the first PWHL defender to record three points in a game this season.
5 key Takeaways after Sirens snap four-game losing streak
1. Casey O’Brien makes her mark
It’s impressive enough to score your first PWHL goal. But scoring a hat trick the very same night? That’s the stuff of legends.
O’Brien had a strong case for being the best forward available in the 2025 draft class. The University of Wisconsin graduate led the nation with 88 points in 2024-25 and took home the Patty Kazmaier Award for the top player in women’s college hockey.
But on a team with plenty of first-year talent, including No. 1 overall pick Kristyna Kaltounkova, O’Brien faded into the background through the first month of the season. Through seven games, the New York native carried just a pair of assists into the game Sunday. Moreover, she seemed to be playing a pass-first game in the offensive zone, often resulting in squandered scoring chances.
That was not the case against the Torrent. O’Brien tied a career-high with four shots, converting on three of them. Two of her tallies came on the power play, where the rookie was recently promoted to the top unit.
The Sirens hope it’s a sign of things to come. O’Brien is already a responsible defender and above average in the face-off circle — her 54.5 face-off win percentage leads all PWHL rookies (minimum 10 face-offs). If she can tap into the offensive success that made her a dominant force at Wisconsin, New York has an all-out difference-maker on their hands.
She’s not the only rookie to be excited about. Wheeler now has points in consecutive games. O’Brien and Wheeler have five points apiece through eight games, matching Girard for the team lead in points.
As the youngest team in the PWHL, New York needs regular offensive contributions from its rookies. The Sirens got each of their goals Sunday from first-year players. It’ll take more nights like that to get this group into playoff contention.
2. Shots, shots, shots
When it comes to shot rate, New York stands well above the rest of the PWHL.
The Sirens average a League-leading 33.6 shots on goal per game. Only two other teams — Minnesota and the Montreal Victoire — average at least 30 shots per game, and neither is particularly close to overtaking New York.
That trend continued on Sunday. The Sirens recorded 21 shots on goal in the opening frame, setting a new franchise record for the most shots in a single period. Though they didn’t maintain that 63-shot pace over the final 40 minutes, New York ended the night with 41 SOG.
The Sirens outshot opponents in all eight games to open 2025-26, tallying 40-plus in three. The Frost are the only other team to record at least 40 shots in a game this season. New York also leads the PWHL in Corsi-for percentage, per PWHL Analytics, a metric that tracks all shot attempts — on-goal or otherwise.
Of course, generating chances is only half of the battle, as evidenced by New York’s offensive inconsistency in the first month. It does little good without the finishing touch that was on display Sunday.
“We’ve been putting in a lot of work in practice and video, focusing on the little things,” O’Brien said postgame. “It’s been frustrating at times when the results weren’t there, but tonight felt like the payoff.”
Finishing ability can be fickle, but New York’s high-volume attack remains a decided strength for Fargo’s group.
3. Power play shows promise
Don’t look now, but the Sirens scored power-play goals in back-to-back games.
New York opened the season on a 0-for-17 skid before Kaltounkova found the back of the net last Sunday against the Toronto Sceptres. They have a different rookie to thank this time around, as O’Brien scored twice on five attempts against Seattle.
Is it a perfect product yet? Certainly not. New York failed to score on Tejralova’s five-minute major, even after Fillier returned to the ice, and they’re still too inconsistent at setting up the offensive cycle.
Nonetheless, they’re starting to see results after an early-season slump, and that’s likely the most important thing for team psyche.
The Sirens are one of the best teams at even strength this season. If the power play follows suit, they’ll reap the benefits in the standings.
4. Head up!
Tejralova’s thunderous hit on Fillier was one of the more memorable moments from the latest edition of the Takeover Tour, but it’s not one the Sirens want to see again.
Regardless of the point of contact, Tejralova’s hit warrants a penalty as the PWHL currently prohibits opposite-direction hits and open-ice hits. Tejralova was guilty on both counts. Making direct contact to Fillier’s head merely elevated it to a major penalty and a game misconduct.
Tejralova’s hit should not be excused, but it does accentuate one of the oldest adages in hockey — keep your head up when crossing the middle of the ice.
Granted, that’s easier said than done, especially in this instance. Fillier glanced down to handle a feed from Anne Cherkowski, but had some trouble with the puck and tried to kick it back onto her stick. Fillier’s head went down at the Sirens blue line, and it never came back up, making her a vulnerable target for Tejralova.
The Sirens were fortunate that Fillier quickly returned to the ice and seemed to avoid any major injuries. Still, it’s a scary reminder for Fillier — and any other PWHL player — to stay vigilant when crossing over the middle. A game misconduct is little consolation for a season-altering injury.
5. Takeover Tour comes to Dallas
The matchup in American Airlines Center marked the furthest south the PWHL traveled in its three seasons.
It was a special moment for New York’s Simpson and Seattle’s Hannah Bilka — the only two Texas natives in the League — each of whom drew into the starting lineup in front of her hometown crowd.
“I am filled with so much gratitude that I get to play the sport I love in front of the people I love,” Simpson said pregame. “If we can inspire just one more girl from this area to pick up a stick or another to keep playing that extra season, then I will be so proud of our efforts here.”
Official attendance was listed as 8,514, third-lowest in Takeover Tour history, ahead of only Buffalo (8,512) and Chicago (7,238). It is the only Takeover Tour game that Dallas will host in 2025-26.
