O’Brien nets first career hat trick
New York Sirens forward Casey O’Brien, the team’s first-round, third-overall pick in 2025, scored her first three career goals in her team’s 4-3 win over Seattle last Sunday. The game took place at American Airlines Center in Dallas as part of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour.
O’Brien became the first player in league history to register a hat trick in a Takeover Tour game. “We’ve been putting in a lot of work in practice and video, focusing on the little things,” O’Brien told reporters after the game. “It’s been frustrating at times when the results weren’t there but tonight felt like the payoff. Every goal came from everyone doing the small details that start in the D zone, even when they don’t always get noticed.”
In recognition of the feat, O’Brien was named PWHL Player of the Week
Watts reaches milestone in losing effort
The Toronto Sceptres fell 5-1 to the Minnesota Frost on Tuesday night before a sellout crowd of 8,318 at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Despite carrying the play for several stretches, the Sceptres were foiled at almost every turn by Minnesota goalie Nicole Hensley. Meanwhile the opportunistic visitors capitalized on their chances, getting goals from Katy Knoll, Britta Curl-Salemme, Grace Zumwinkle and Kendall Coyne Schofield, who had a pair of tallies including an empty-netter. Taylor Heise collected three assists.
The Sceptres’ lone goal came after Daryl Watts finshied off a rush from defender Renata Fast into the zone. Watts extended her personal goal streak to three games, while collecting the 50th point of her PWHL career, becoming only the second player behind Marie-Philip Poulin to reach the milestone.
“Being in the same category as Poulin is pretty cool. She’s my idol — ever since I was little, so it’s pretty cool to be there with her. It’s a bit bittersweet to lose the game tonight the way we did,” Watts said.
Takeover Tour attendance yields mixed results
The first four games of this year’s PWHL Takeover Tour have produced attendance figures as follows:
- Halifax – 10,438, Scotiabank Centre
- Chicago – 7,238, AllState Arena
- Edmonton – 10,265, Rogers Place
- Dallas – 8,514, American Airlines Center
While the crowds Halifax and Edmonton will favour each city’s expansion consideration, Chicago and Dallas – unfortunately – join the ranks of Buffalo, Pittsburgh and St. Louis from previous years as cities who’ve drawn fewer than 10,000 fans for a Takeover Tour game, making them unlikely candidates to enter the league.
Tejralova suspended
Seatte defender Aneta Tejralova has been suspended two games as a result of an illegal check to the head of New York’s Sarah Fillier. The incident occurred in the first period of Sunday’s game between the Torrent and the Sirens, Tejralova was assessed a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct.
