Lou Orlando
NEW YORK — A record-setting crowd of 18,006 at Madison Square Garden greeted the New York Sirens and Seattle Torrent with a thunderous ovation before Saturday’s 8 p.m. puck drop. Three hours later, an even louder roar shook the 58-year-old venue as the Sirens completed a 2-1 comeback victory in a shootout.
“It’s so special. I feel like as a team we deserve this,” Sirens star Sarah Fillier told Abby Labar on the ice postgame. “We know how passionate of a fanbase New York and New Jersey is, but to fill such an iconic building and get a win for the crowd is so amazing.”
“It’s funny, because people ask, ‘Are you surprised?’ I’m not surprised that we sold out MSG,” Torrent captain Hilary Knight said postgame. “It’s a testament to the caliber of player that we have, our fan base, the product that we put together, 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 — is truly incredible.”
New York shattered its home attendance record by nearly 10,000, posting the largest United States crowd in professional women’s hockey history. The Sirens capped the night off in style, sending their fans home with a win on Garden ice.
Sirens defender Maja Nylen Persson converted in the fourth round of the shootout, and goalie Kayle Osborne turned away former teammate Alex Carpenter in the fifth, securing a New York victory.
“It’s really hard to put into words. Honestly surreal,” Osborne reacted postgame. “Just to look around and play in this arena, and to get a ‘W’ with the group we have — it’s so special, and I’m never ever gonna forget.”
Fresh off a miraculous natural hat trick in a 4-3 overtime win Wednesday over the Minnesota Frost, Fillier powered another Sirens comeback with an equalizer at 16:25 of the third period. Her ninth goal of the season was the only one of New York’s 38 shots to slip past former Sirens goalie Corinne Schroeder in 65 minutes.
But a low-scoring affair still packed plenty of punch. The fireworks began late in the first period, when Sirens forward Emmy Fecteau leveled Mikyla Grant-Mentis, inciting a scrum in Seattle’s zone. Torrent defender Cayla Barnes quickly scooped up the puck and set up Knight for a goal, though officials waved it off due to the brawl on the other end.
After review, Fecteau received a five-minute major and automatic game misconduct for a check to the head on Grant-Mentis at 17:48 of the first.
New York successfully killed off the five-minute major, but Carpenter wasted little time, blasting a one-timer top shelf at 2:51 of the second period — just three seconds after Fecteau’s penalty expired. Tilting her head up towards the ringed Garden ceiling, the former Sirens alternate captain shushed the Madison Square Garden crowd.
Carpenter’s 10th tally of the season stood until Fillier knotted the game 1-1, drawing a lively response from the anxious crowd. Sirens rookie Anne Cherkowski spun away from Barnes off the wall and slid a sharp pass across the crease, setting up Fillier for the finish.
“I think as a group, we wanted to get one for this crowd and be able to hear everyone erupt. There’s nothing like scoring a goal in your home building in front of thousands of fans,” Fillier remarked postgame. “I thought we sticked to our game plan. We knew it was coming in between the second and third, we were in our locker room saying, ‘It’s coming. Don’t change a thing.'”
Fillier scored her eighth goal in seven games, vaulting into the top 10 on the PWHL goals leaderboard. The 25-year-old is tied for fourth in League scoring with 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists).
Cherkowski nearly scored the game-winner for New York in the waning seconds of overtime, cruising to the net and placing a backhand shot on goal. Schroeder sprawled to make a right pad save, and Carpenter swooped in to clear the puck from danger.
Torrent defender Anna Wilgren opened the shootout and came inches away from tucking a goal past Osborne. Instead, the puck hugged the goal line — to the relief of New York’s netminder.
“Great move and honestly was hoping it didn’t cross,” Osborne said postgame. “I felt like that puck was gonna go in. So thank God it didn’t.”
Fillier put the Sirens ahead after round one, speeding in and finishing on the backhand. Carpenter answered in the second round, though, sniping top-shelf just moments after receiving boos from the New York crowd.
Failed attempts from Cherkowski, Knight, Casey O’Brien, and Danielle Serdachny cleared the way for Nylen Persson at the close of the fourth round. The Swedish defender curled in from the left dot and fired a quick wrister that clanged off the right post and into the net.
Seattle turned back to Carpenter, needing a goal, but Osborne denied the dangerous forward with a clutch pad save.
“Not going to lie, I think everyone was excited, but there was a healthy amount of nerves too,” Sirens coach Greg Fargo reflected. “For our group to be able to experience what they experienced tonight and also come up with the result that we wanted, I don’t think this thing could’ve went much better than that.”
Fillier and Osborne received the first and second stars of the game, but Cherkowski also drew praise postgame from her head coach after an inspired outing.
“I think what you saw today from Cherk is a continuation of what we’ve seen, maybe the last three games or so,” Fargo noted. “She’s elevated her play, playing with a lot more confidence, getting the puck to the interior of the ice and to the net. She’s playing some of her best hockey.”
Schroeder made a season-high 37 saves for Seattle on Saturday, including the key stop on Cherkowski at the end of overtime.
With two straight overtime wins, New York earned points in back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 20. The Sirens trail the Toronto Sceptres by three points for the final playoff spot.
Key takeaways after Sirens snatch 2-1 win from Torrent at MSG
Sirens spurred on by ‘special’ MSG crowd
For Fillier, the sheer magnitude of the Garden crowd sank in right before puck drop, as she stood on the blue line for the national anthem.
“I’ve never been in a building like that during the anthem with the fans so engaged — like cheering for the Sirens mid-anthem. I had goose bumps just looking up in the building,” Fillier said with a smile. “It felt like the longest five minutes of my life.”
The energy carried throughout 65 minutes of play and the shootout, reaching its apex after Osborne sealed a Sirens win.
“I’ve never seen this many Sirens jerseys, this much Sirens merch,” Fillier told Labar moments after the victory. “They were loud all game.”
Schroeder blanked New York for two periods, but Fillier rode the crowd’s momentum in the third, forcing overtime for a second straight game.
“Playing like in front of a crowd like that, you pick up the puck on an exit in your zone, and it might be you versus five of the other team, but everyone’s cheering like you might score,” Fillier explained. “And it makes you believe it, too, sometimes. It’s just so special.”
If the Sirens do make the playoffs this season, they’ll have Fillier’s late-game heroics to thank.
Nylen Persson nets game-winner: ‘I knew we were in for a treat’
On Jan. 28, Fargo turned to Nylen Persson in a shootout against the Boston Fleet. The 25-year-old defender rewarded the decision, blasting a laser past star goalie Aerin Frankel.
“It was an easy decision, frankly,” Fargo asserted afterward.
He didn’t think twice about turning to Nylen Persson in a pivotal shootout moment at the Garden.
“We went with Filly and OB and Cherk to start, and then I looked down at Maja, and she’s like, ‘Hey,'” Fargo recalled. “I said, ‘You ready to go?” and she just said, ‘Yep.’ And she was really confident with her answer, so I knew we were in for a treat.”
Nylen Persson backed up that confidence with a lightning-fast wrister that beat Schroeder on the right post.
“Maja’s such a deceptive player with the puck. I think she’s a little unpredictable in what she’s going to do,” noted Fargo. “And we saw that again tonight in the shootout. We see it on the power play every day. She’s a threat when she’s out there, and the puck’s on her stick.”
Alex Carpenter, Corinne Schroeder shine in return to New York
Carpenter and Schroeder received loud ovations from Sirens fans before puck drop, as both returned to the New York area for their first game since being unprotected during expansion last offseason.
Those cheers faded by the end of the night, though, as Carpenter was met with boos before her two shootout attempts in the second and fifth rounds.
“I think it’s obviously a great atmosphere,” Carpenter acknowledged postgame. “Coming in as the away team from across the country, I think it’s awesome to have that kind of experience. I know for sure back in Seattle, our fans are always booing opposing teams, so I think we expect it when we travel around.”
Carpenter was visibly emotional after Seattle’s sixth loss in seven games (1-0-1-5), but she expressed appreciation for the opportunity to return to New York for a memorable night.
“Definitely pretty special. I think it was awesome being able to play here, especially at MSG,” Carpenter said. “You know, a lot of memories here, playing for the Sirens for two seasons. But definitely wish we could have had a better result this game.”
The former Sirens all-time leading scorer — surpassed by Fillier in March — certainly did her part, providing Seattle’s lone goal. She was the only Torrent skater to score against Osborne in the shootout.
Schroeder more than met the moment, standing tall amid a New York barrage. The 26-year-old earned third star honors — and one last ovation from the Garden crowd.
“She’s grown, really, from game one to now. It’s hard to talk about. It’s internal for us, and how she’s grown for us as a person, as a player,” Torrent coach Steve O’Rourke said postgame. “To see her compete like she did on this stage tonight — that’s pretty amazing, to come in here and go and battle your former team the way she did. She held us in there all night long, and I’m super proud of the way she’s shown up here for us throughout the season.”
Sirens draw within a win of final playoff spot
Minnesota clinched a postseason berth Saturday afternoon with a 6-5 win over the Vancouver Goldeneyes, leaving one last playoff spot up for grabs. New York is still in the mix thanks to a pair of overtime wins this week.
The Sirens sit in sixth place with 31 points, two behind the Ottawa Charge and three back of the Sceptres. New York plays Toronto twice in its final five-game stretch and visits Ottawa on April 18, with all three teams level at 25 games played.
Fargo isn’t eager to change anything up after a successful week in the standings.
“We put together two pretty good efforts here the last couple games. We’re gonna rinse and repeat what we really liked,” Fargo stated. “Everybody’s pulling on the rope in the same direction right now, and it’s a good feeling. It’s a hungry group that wants to make some more history this year.”
New York gets six days off before traveling to Minnesota for another tilt with the Frost next Saturday.
