Sydney Sirens

Lore & Background

Formed in 2007, the Sydney Sirens were one of four founding teams in the AWIHL. They changed their name to the North Star Sirens from 2011 to 2013 before reverting to the Sydney Sirens. In 2015, the team moved from the Sydney Ice Arena to the Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink, aiming to expand their fan base in the inner western suburbs. For the 2022–2023 season, they relocated to the Macquarie Ice Rink. The Sirens draw players from across New South Wales, including Newcastle and the Central Coast, with some traveling approximately two hours to the rink. They are also one of the only teams allowed to take players from the neighbouring Australian Capital Territory, with those players driving over three hours to attend practices and games. The team's uniform is black with red stars and a yellow-accented logo depicting a Siren from Greek mythology; the away uniform is white with red stars and yellow and red stripes, with a minor update in 2023 adding pink fill to the logo. The Sirens won their first national championship in the 2016–2017 season, defeating the Brisbane Goannas 4–3 in an overtime shootout at their home rink. They won a second championship in the 2019–2020 season, beating the Adelaide Rush 3–0. After the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 seasons, the Sirens won a third title in the 2022–2023 season, defeating the Melbourne Ice 5–2 to become back-to-back national champions.

Reader's Guide

The Sydney Sirens are significant as one of the four founding teams of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League, the top national league for women's ice hockey in Australia. Their three championships—won in 2017, 2020, and 2023—demonstrate sustained competitiveness. The team's history includes a temporary name change to the North Star Sirens and multiple relocations, reflecting the development of women's hockey infrastructure in New South Wales. The Sirens have drawn players from a wide geographic area, including Newcastle, the Central Coast, and the Australian Capital Territory, highlighting their role in expanding the sport's reach. Notable players include scoring leader Sharna Godfrey, national team members Sarah Edney and Kath McOnie, and goaltenders Sera Dogramaci and Tina Girdler, who were instrumental in championship wins. The team's coaching staff has included Jayden Ryan, who led the Sirens to two titles. The Sirens' legacy includes fostering talent such as rookies from the National Women's U18 Team and international players from NCAA, Canadian collegiate, and Swedish professional leagues.

Did You Know?

• The Sydney Sirens were originally called the North Star Sirens from 2011 to 2013.
• The Sirens won their first national championship in 2017 via a 4–3 overtime shootout.
• Players from the Australian Capital Territory drive over three hours to join the team.
• The team's logo depicts a Siren from Greek mythology.

Founding & Early Years

The Sydney Sirens trace their origins to conversations that began in 2005 about creating a national women's ice hockey competition. In 2006, Sydney fielded a squad in a preliminary mini-series against three other state-based teams, serving as a proving ground before the formal league took shape. The following year, the Sirens officially joined the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League as one of its four founding franchises, cementing their place at the top tier of the sport in the country. Their early identity was not entirely stable: between 2011 and 2013 the club rebranded as the North Star Sirens before reverting to the original Sydney Sirens name they still carry today. Throughout those formative years the team was tied to the Sydney Ice Arena, and the roster drew talent from across New South Wales, with players from Newcastle and the Central Coast making roughly two-hour commutes to reach the rink. The Sirens also held a unique status as one of the few clubs permitted to register players from the neighbouring Australian Capital Territory, whose athletes would drive more than three hours to attend practices and matches.

Championship Legacy

Three national titles define the Sirens' competitive record since the AWIHL's inception. The first arrived in 2017, the season after a bitter Grand Final defeat. That year the league banned import goaltenders and capped on-ice imports at two per game. Sydney finished as minor premiers, demolished their semi-final foe 10-0, and then met the Brisbane Goannas in a closely fought final. Netminder Sera Dogramaci was the difference as the Sirens won 4-3 in an overtime shootout at their home rink. The second championship came in 2020 under head coach Jayden Ryan, with a roster that included national-team regulars and international players such as sisters Sarah and Dini Edney and Kayla Nielsen. Against the Adelaide Rush, Sydney held opponents scoreless and netted three goals to lift the trophy. The third title followed in 2023, when the Sirens outclassed the Melbourne Ice 5-2 in a grudge match. Rookie Georgia Clarke opened the scoring, Sarah Edney converted from tight angles, and Sharna Godfrey finished a tick-tack-toe pass on the power play. Former NWU18T captain Ebony Brunt buried one top shelf to force a goalie change, completing Sydney's back-to-back national crown.

Leadership & Roster Evolution

The Sirens' captaincy has passed through several standout figures over the years. Kaylee White led the club from 2011 through 2014, often flanked by Amelia Matheson and Sharna Godfrey as alternates. Matheson then took the "C" in 2015-16 and 2016-17, while Stephenie Cochrane served as an alternate during that stretch before stepping into the captain role for the 2019-20 campaign. By 2022-23, Sarah Edney had assumed the captaincy, a role she still holds into the 2024-25 season, with alternates including Kath McOnie, Remi Harvey, Fiona Moon, Ebony Brunt, and Julia Pochini across different years. On the coaching side, the club has cycled through several staff, from Pier Martin's early tenure to Troy Morgan and Jeff Helbren's partnership in the mid-2010s, and more recently Jayden Ryan, who has served as head coach since 2019-20, joined in 2022-23 by assistant Gabe Robledo. The 2023 squad reflected a deliberate youth push: fifteen rookies joined the roster, including eight current or former National Women's U18 Team alumni, two NCAA collegiate players, one Canadian collegiate athlete, and a Swedish professional who also represented Team Sweden in Ringette.

Identity, Rinks & Community

The Sirens' visual identity draws on Greek mythology, with a siren figure at the centre of the logo. The home jersey is black with red stars and yellow accents, while the away kit is white with red stars and yellow-and-red striping. A 2023 update added a pink fill to the siren emblem on the away set to make the logo more prominent. The club's physical home has shifted more than once: the Sirens played at the Sydney Ice Arena before announcing in 2015 a move to the Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink, a step aimed at growing their fan base in Sydney's inner western suburbs. For the 2022-23 season they relocated again, this time to the Macquarie Ice Rink. Beyond the immediate metro area, the Sirens have cultivated a genuinely regional following. Players from Newcastle and the Central Coast travel roughly two hours to reach games, and the club holds a rare distinction as one of the only teams authorised to register players from the Australian Capital Territory, whose athletes drive more than three hours to attend training and matches. This geographic breadth sets the Sirens apart within the AWIHL and underscores the dedication of a community that stretches well beyond the Sydney basin.