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PWHL's Hannah Bilka, Allyson Simpson Preview Texas Takeover

The PWHL's Takeover Tour will taking to the ice in Dallas, Texas, with the Seattle Torrent facing off against the New York Sirens.
Jennifer Streeter|
USA's Hannah Bilka looks for an open teammate at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, NY on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
USA's Hannah Bilka looks for an open teammate at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, NY on Saturday, April 13, 2024. | Daniel DeLoach/Utica Observer-Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

For the PWHL, everything very well may be bigger and better in Texas.

The Seattle Torrent will be taking on the New York Sirens in Dallas's American Airlines Center in part of the PWHL's 2025-26 Takeover Tour. Dec. 28 will mark the first time the PWHL has ever hosted a game in the Lone Star State, and is the fourth of 16 Takeover Tour stops this year. Puck drop is slated for 5:00 p.m. CST at the DFW venue. The Torrent and Sirens will also be conducting open practices at StarCenter in Famers Branch the day prior from 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., with autograph sessions for fans to follow.

Seattle is in their inaugural season and recently set a coveted attendance record, and features Team USA star Hilary Knight on the roster. In addition, Coppell, TX native Hannah Bilka is also on the roster.

New York is one of the PWHL's six charter franchises and the Sirens' Allyson Simpson is also from the Dallas area (Frisco).

PWHL Players Excited To Play in Home State

With both Simpson and Bilka playing in front of a hometown crowd, Breakaway on SI caught up with the pair at a recent media availability to discuss the upcoming matchup.

"I think it's super exciting," Simpson said of playing in Texas to Breakaway On SI. "Hopefully we can get a bigger and better crowd here. But I think that looking at how many people are interested in the game and just the buzz around this game, how excited all of our teammates are to come and play in Texas just kind of speaks to that. It's an incredibly exciting experience that I'm looking forward to being a part of."

As previously referenced, the Torrent set a new attendance record at a professional women's hockey game in the United States and the highest attended home venue game in PWHL history with 16,014 fans in attendance to watch the Seattle home opener.

"People seeing women's hockey for the first time, I mean I remember going to my first professional hockey game and that's what got me to continue my love for it," Bilka said. "I think if people can see that it's a possibility ... for all the girls that hope to be there one day and hockey fans in Dallas can support women's sports as well."

The Torrent most recently defeated the Montreal Victoire, 2-1. The Sirens are coming off a 4-3 loss against the Toronto Sceptres on Dec. 21.

Simpson, a defender, is a two-time Gold Medal Winner with Team USA in the 2018 Under-18 IIHF World Junior Championship Tournament and has one point on the 2025-26 season so far.

Bilka is a forward and has recorded two goals and four assists this year. She won the 2024 National Championship with the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

Bilka and Simpson will also be doing the ceremonial puck drop for the Dec. 27, 7:00 p.m. CST game at American Airlines Center when the Dallas Stars host the Chicago Blackhawks.

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Jennifer Streeter
JENNIFER STREETER

Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered everything from the 2025 Hughes Bowl, SEC football, Ivy League athletics, the 2023 ALCS and the 2023 World Series, the WNBA, and much more.

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