Kristýna Kaltounková and Anne Cherkowski each found the back of the net, with Kayle Osborne making 31 saves to lead the New York Sirens to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Victoire during the PWHL’s Takeover Tour at Capital One Arena. Montreal’s three-game winning streak came to an end with the loss.
The game, held in Washington, D.C., drew a record-breaking announced attendance of 17,228 spectators, setting a new record for in-arena attendance at a women’s hockey game in the United States. The previous record of 16,014 fans was set on Nov. 28 during the inaugural home game for the Seattle Torrent.
Sarah Fillier contributed two assists for New York, which has won five of its last six games. The Sirens currently have 22 points, trailing league-leading Boston by four points and leading third-place Minnesota by one point.
Kaltounková, the top overall pick in the 2025 PWHL draft, has tallied nine goals this season, tying with Minnesota’s Kendall Coyne Schofield for the most goals in the league. Maggie Flaherty scored a power-play goal for the Victoire late in the first period.
Kaltounková broke the deadlock just 84 seconds into the game by converting a rebound from a shot by Fillier. The Sirens, who struggled on power plays previously, managed to capitalize on this opportunity after failing to convert on their previous nine power-play chances.
Cherkowski gave the Sirens a 2-1 lead with 5:13 remaining in the second period. Fillier set up the play, passing the puck to Levis, whose shot was deflected by Cherkowski past goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens for the rookie’s first career goal. Desbiens made 25 saves for the Victoire.
Having split their previous encounters, with Montreal winning 4-0 on Nov. 25 and New York responding with a 4-3 victory on Jan. 2, the teams will now look ahead to their upcoming games. Montreal is set to face Minnesota on Wednesday, while New York will host Ottawa on Tuesday.