Fresh off a tough defeat at the Prudential Center against the Ottawa Charge, the New York Sirens (3-1-1-3) were back at home for a matinee matchup Sunday against the last-place Sceptres (2-0-1-5).
Today was Community Heroes Day where the Sirens honored people who have made outstanding efforts to serve their communities.
The Sirens took the first meeting of the season between the two PWHL clubs on Dec. 18, by a score of 4-2. Because of this, the Sceptres came in desperate for three points to move up in the standings, while the Sirens were looking to keep momentum on their side just a week after their resounding 5-0 win over the defending Walter Cup champion, Minnesota Frost.
Getting the start in net for the Sceptres was Kristen Campbell. Campbell had gone 1-4-0-0 coming into this game with a 3.47 goals-against average (GAA). For the Sirens, in the crease was Corinne Schroeder, who came into today’s game with a 4-2-0-0 record and a league fifth-best 2.19 GAA.
First Period
There wasn’t much offense in the first ten minutes of the game, although the Sirens had the edge when it came to shots on goal. Thanks to shot blocking, the Sceptres killed off their first penalty of the game at 11:58 of the first period. Then, just 30 seconds later, the visitors got called for their second penalty. This time it was Sceptres defenseman Renata Fast who was called for cross checking. The Sirens looked better on their second power play moving the puck around the umbrella but were still unable to convert, letting the visitors off the hook. The Sirens controlled the period outshooting Toronto 10 to 3.
Action picks up in the Second and Third Periods
It took five and a half minutes of second period action before Toronto took the first shot on goal of the period, as both teams were feeling each other out. At 7:57 of the second period, the Sirens were given their third woman advantage of the game when the Sceptres’ Rylind Mackinnon was called for slashing. Unfortunately, for the home crowd they would have to wait even longer for the game’s first goal as the Sirens were completely stymied on that woman advantage.
At 12:30, the Sirens took their first penalty of the game, when Emmy Fecteau was called for hooking. The Sceptres did much better than the Sirens on their first woman advantage but in the end were unable to convert. With a little under three minutes left in the period, Sarah Fillier received a pass in the neutral zone and went in on a breakaway. She shot high blocker and was stopped by Campbell, marking the best scoring chance of the game for the Sirens thus far.
With under a minute remaining in the period, Sceptres’ and former PWHL New York forward Emma Woods went in on a breakaway and lost her handle on the puck after attempting a deke. This let the Sirens off the hook for playing a poor second period, as both teams went into the second intermission still searching for the game’s first goal.
Between minutes eight and nine of the third period, the Sirens were hemmed inside their defensive zone. The only thing that kept the Sceptres off the scoreboard was Schroeder and the defense in front of her which made three blocks during this span.
With just over 5 minutes remaining in the third period, Sirens captain Micah Zandee-Hart made a game-saving diving stick check to knock the puck off the stick of the Sceptres’ Emma Woods who was in 1-on-1 with Schroeder.
Extra Hockey!
The game went into a five-minute, three-on-three overtime period. In overtime, Schroeder was called upon to make a double save at 3:11 gone by when the Sceptres came in on a 3 v 0 breakaway against the Sirens goalie but Schroeder was there to make the initial save with her chest and then the second save with her pad to keep the score level.
Twenty seconds later, Sarah Fillier held the puck behind her own goal line and sent a long pass ahead for Jessie Eldridge. Eldridge stayed onside and the puck went into the corner of the offensive zone. Eldridge then picked up the puck and roofed it over the shoulder of Campbell to give the Sirens the victory.
GAME. WINNER. 🔊 pic.twitter.com/ywrRUJth6E
— New York Sirens (@PWHL_NewYork) January 12, 2025
Postgame Reactions
The Sirens were outshot 28-20 in the game but only surrendered two shots in the five-minute overtime period. After the game, Toronto’s head coach Troy Ryan discussed his team’s performance and what stopped his team from winning the game.
Plenty of offensive chances, plenty of looks, she had a solid game for sure, that’s kind of what we expect. But plenty of great transition, getting some odd-man rushes, and plenty of quality chances just not putting them away. An area we needed to improve was maybe taking away her eyes a little bit more. When a hot goalie is seeing pucks they generally make saves but yeah, she played well. – Toronto Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan
That hot goalie was Corinne Schroeder who finished the game with her league-leading second shutout of the season and First Star honors. After the game, her head coach talked about the level she’s playing at currently.
She’s been demonstrating the level of her play since day one but in particular there’s a calmness to her game and a competitiveness to her game that we really like right now. To the point of the other goaltenders getting looks, we’re really fortunate at that position to be deep and both Kayla and Abby have been battling hard everyday. They’ve got a great relationship among the three of them but its hard to argue who our starting goaltender is. – New York Sirens head coach Greg Fargo
The Sirens nearly jumped out to a lead with their play in the first period and their head coach Greg Fargo chimed in about his team’s start and finish on Sunday.
The margins in this league are really small. I would say tonight we really liked our start for a lot of reasons. It was nice to get a great start in the first period, I thought what we did well is we got pucks below their goal-line and hemmed them in a bit from time to time but then as the game went on, they started doing those same things to us. You know there’s going to be ebbs and flows to any game at this level and Toronto was able to spend a good amount of time in our own end there in the second and beyond. But I really liked how we started tonight, I really liked how we responded in the third. About halfway through, I thought we started to take some of that ice back and that’s a part of learning and growing and finding ways to learn how to win at this level. So really proud of the group to hang with it and obviously we got some key saves and some key plays at the right time tonight when we needed it.
When asked about the play that led to her game-winning goal, Jessie Eldridge gave credit to her teammates for setting her up.
Carpy made a really smart [line] change right there and it triggered that Toronto D to think that they could have the change. I think it’s little moments like that in 3-on-3 that make a big difference with opening up some space, so, Filly just made a really good heads up play, and you know the puck went in the net and a good feeling here at home.
Right before Eldridge ended it, Sirens goaltender Corinne Schroeder made a spectacular double save and she discussed what she saw on that play.
“I don’t really know to be honest. I feel like it was just all adrenaline and trying to keep the puck in front of me so, bit of luck but long limbs help.”
When asked how it felt to hear her last name chanted on multiple occasions by the home crowd throughout the game, Schroeder gave a grin and said.
It’s honestly very nice to hear. It’s kind of funny I put myself in some bad situations sometimes so little bit of luck, but its really great to have such a great fanbase behind me and them recognizing how well I played today and showing me that support is really great.”
