Sarah Fillier's Late Goal Forces Shootout, and the Sirens Survive Seattle Torrent in Front of a U.S. Women's Hockey Record Crowd

The New York Sirens just wrote a piece of women's hockey history at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, and it came at the Torrent's expense. Sarah Fillier scored with 3:35 left in the third period to tie the game, then Maja Nylén Persson buried the shootout winner as the Sirens edged Seattle 2-1 in front of 18,006 fans. That attendance number? It's the biggest crowd ever for a professional women's hockey game in the United States. Not bad for a Saturday night in New York.

How the Game Unfolded

Seattle came out swinging early. Alex Carpenter netted a one-timer off a pass from Danielle Serdachny just 2:51 into the second period, giving the Torrent a 1-0 lead. That should have been enough to hold down the Sirens, but Fillier had other plans. With the third period winding down, Anne Cherkowski fed Fillier at the back post on the left side, and the Sirens forward finished into a wide-open net to tie it at 1-1 and force overtime drama.

The Goalie Battle

Corinne Schroeder was a brick wall in net for Seattle, stopping 37 shots for the Torrent. That's elite-level goaltending on the road in a barn like MSG. On the other side, Kayle Osborne managed the game for New York, turning aside 20 shots as the Sirens improved to 8-1-4-12. Schroeder's effort kept it close, but in a shootout, sometimes you just come up short.

What's Next for Seattle

Fillier is playing out of her mind right now, with eight goals and an assist in her last seven games. That's the kind of hot streak that can carry a team. The Torrent heads back to Seattle with a 6-1-3-14 record, still sitting in solid shape but knowing they had this one and let it slip away. Tough loss in front of that record crowd, but the season is long.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.