PWHL No. 1 pick Sarah Fillier already ‘leading charge’ for Sirens heading into home opener

New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier had the puck and was picking up speed. 

In a split second, Fillier dropped a pass back to her linemate Alex Carpenter who fired off a wrist shot that blew past the Minnesota Frost’s goalie. 

Just like that, the New York Sirens, only a few months removed from finishing last in the PWHL’s inaugural season, spoiled the defending champion Frost’s banner night with a 4-3 overtime win on Dec. 1. 

That play, which happened only 19 seconds into overtime, was Fillier’s second assist on a Carpenter goal that game. 

More than two weeks into the season, Fillier has handled the pressures of being a No. 1 overall pick seamlessly.

She currently leads the league in points (5), has already netted two goals in three games and is part of the league’s most potent line. 

Fillier and Carpenter have combined for half of the Sirens’ 10 goals this season. 

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Carpenter told The Post this week. “Sarah is such a dynamic player and being able to play with a player who sees the ice really well and knows where the open spots are on the ice.” 

None of what Fillier has done up to this point has surprised those who know her best. 

“Everybody’s talking about her transition from college but she’s been on the national team for a long time,” Sirens coach Greg Fargo said ahead of Wednesday’s season opener at Prudential Center. “What Sarah is doing is exceptional. She’s not only getting on the board but she’s involved in a lot of our important offense … and to me, that’s the sign of someone who’s leading the charge.” 

On a personal level, Fillier has some modest expectations for this season. 

“I want to obviously have a really great rookie year,” she said. “I want to continue to develop.” 

But for the team, Fillier has loftier goals. 

“As a team, we just want to jell as quick as we can,” she said. “Grab a ton of points early on in the season and hopefully go for a championship run.” 

It was clear from an early age that Fillier was special. After playing the first nine years on a boys team, more people started to take notice when she was lighting up the Provincial Women’s Hockey League with the Oakville Jr. Hornets. 

“You could tell at 16,” Princeton women’s hockey coach Cara Morey said. “She just saw the game at a different level.” 

Fillier has been one of women’s hockey’s most exciting up-and-comers since she led the nation in scoring with 22 goals and 35 assists in 29 games as a freshman at Princeton in 2018-19. 

But the 2022 Olympic Games were the world’s introduction to Fillier, who carried herself like a seasoned veteran. 

Fillier recorded a hat trick in Canada’s dominant win against Sweden in the quarterfinals and helped her native country ultimately win gold. 

She ultimately finished second in tournament scoring with eight goals.

But while some believe this was Fillier’s breakout showing, those who knew Fillier weren’t at all surprised. 

“She did exactly what I thought she would do at the Olympics,” said Morey, who had known Fillier since she was 15. 

Last season, there was speculation that Fillier could be the top pick of the 2024 PWHL draft.

But she ignored that outside noise the best she could as she went on to score a career-high 30 goals in 29 games for Princeton. 

Fillier was almost in disbelief when Billie Jean King announced that the New York Sirens would be taking Fillier with the No. 1 pick at the June draft. 

“It’s something that a lot of people don’t get to experience being a first overall pick in your respective sport,” Fillier said. 

The transition from college to the PWHL has been seamless for her. 

“She’s played at the national team level, so kind of knows what that extra step is,” Carpenter said. “[She] came into training camp firing on all cylinders.” 

While the Sirens are already three games into their young season, Wednesday’s game against Toronto will mark a new era for them in some ways. 

After playing home games at three different venues last season, the Sirens have a permanent home in Prudential Center. 

Fillier expects to have many friends and family in attendance, including some of her Princeton teammates. Playing against her best friend and former Tigers teammate, Toronto’s Maggie Connors, makes the home opener even sweeter. 

“It was really cool to play against her in the preseason game,” Fillier said, “but putting on our real jersey at the Prudential Center tomorrow… will be really special.”