Look out for those competitive ladies on skates. Following the United States Olympic women's hockey team's gold medal win, a younger generation of female players is making its mark on the ice. Top teams in the country are competing in the U14 Tier 2 Chipotle USA Hockey Nationals in Rochester, Mich. — the tournament got started March 24 and is scheduled to continue through Sunday, March 29. Among the participants are Newtown's own Tilden Trado and Lauren Allred, Newtown Middle School students who are teammates on the Mid Fairfield Stars.

The Stars earned their spot in the national spotlight by virtue of their placement among all teams in the state and region. In October, the Stars were crowned State Champions for a second year in a row. The top two teams from each state in the region advanced to the New England District tournament to determine who qualifies for Nationals. The girls got all the way to the title game to earn their trip to Michigan. Over the course of back-to-back weekends, the Stars played ten games, winning nine, and outscoring tough competition 30-8. They are the top team in New England and 27th overall among 144 in the country, according to myhockeyrankings.com.

Getting to this point has taken quite an effort on the part of players and parents alike.

"Travel Hockey is a huge commitment. It's three practices a week with the team and many do extra training on the side as well as dryland training. We travel each weekend, to places like Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and sometimes for the day, which can be upwards of a ten-hour day," said Tilden's mom Tracey Trado. "Girls are required to be at the rink one hour before the game to warm up as a team so depending on where the game is, we need to allow for travel time to and from. Hockey really never ends with spring and summer tournaments, skill sessions, and showcases."

The primary season runs from August through March, with spring pickup games keeping these girls on the ice in every season. Based out of The Rinks at Sports Center of Connecticut in Shelton and Trinity College's Keoppel Community Sports Center in Hartford, the Stars also practice at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. This pretty much year-round icy endeavor makes it difficult for participants to play second and third sports, but most of the girls do. In addition to hockey, both Newtown representatives have played lacrosse, including at the travel level, throughout the years.

Both girls have been on the ice since age 6 and have skated for seven years. They have followed similar paths, turning an interest in the game, following the footsteps (or skate strides) of their brothers, into a passion and lifestyle.

"She was a rink rat since birth because her brothers play so it was a natural progression to try the sport. We didn't think she would love it as much as she does. She started out with the Rangers Learn to Skate program and then did a camp in Danbury to see if she liked it enough to try out for a team. She loved it from the moment she set foot on the ice," Tracey said of her daughter.

Often referred to as Tillie, this hockey enthusiast started playing competitively with the Danbury Hat Tricks Girls' Youth Hockey program at age 8 in 2021. She played with the Hat Tricks for two years and also laced up with the program's U12 boys' team for a season before transitioning to the all-girls Mid Fairfield Stars for the 2023-2024 season. She has been with the Stars ever since. Trado plays the center position and sometimes skates on the wings.

Allred got her hockey career going with the Wizards at Wonderland of Ice and played with Wonderland's coed team before joining the Stars. Allred has always been a forward and plays either left or right wing.

"I couldn't be more proud of this amazing group of talented girls and seeing all of the years of hard word and dedication pay off for them, which has earned them a trip to Nationals," Lauren's mom Jennifer Allred said. "I feel very blessed to be part of such a wonderful group of players and parents."

Hockey has been a huge part of life in these families. Taggart and Beckett Trado continued to play throughout the years, and Beckett suited up for Juniors hockey in the Boston area as well as in Canada last year. Just how far the game takes Trado and Allred remains to be seen, but both have a strong passion for the sport and plenty of skill and work ethic on their side.

Q&A with Tilden Trado and Lauren Allred

How much do you like hockey and what are your favorite parts of the game?

*Trado: I love hockey. It is an amazing sport to play. As I got into hockey my favorite parts were meeting new friends and seeing me grow with them as players and teammates. I love the game and the physical aspect of it — the hitting, the skating, and becoming a great athlete because of it. It has given me opportunities that I could only imagine, like making Nationals.

*Allred: Ice hockey is my passion that has brought me so much joy and happiness ever since I was little. I love working together with my team and getting to share so many great moments with them.

How excited are you for the national tourney?

*Trado: Extremely excited and humbled to be a part of this Nationals team. We worked very hard to get where we are and I am happy with my role on this team. I have played with some of my teammates for three years and it is very exciting to get to play on the largest stage in Michigan.

*Allred: I am beyond excited for Nationals. We have all worked so hard all season, continuing to develop, and I am looking forward to showing everyone all the hard work we have put in. I've always dreamed of going to Nationals.

Do you hope to keep playing hockey for years to come?

*Trado: Yes — ever since I started hockey, my goal was to play in college.

*Allred: Hockey is everything to me and I plan on playing for many years to come.

What did you think of the Olympic women’s (and men’s) team winning gold and is that inspiring?

*Trado: It was awesome to watch and see how the US got behind the hockey teams. Both the teams had such memorable wins and women's hockey has grown so much and it is inspiring for me to watch these women play and win.

*Allred: As an American hockey player, watching both the men's and women's Olympic teams bring home the gold is incredibly inspiring. Both teams battled in OT and showed grit to bring home the gold. These victories remind me why I play hockey. It's all about focus and working together and playing together as a team.

What can you say about the commitment/traveling for games and practices as well as how it is worthwhile?

*Trado: Hockey is a huge commitment. It's a commitment in nutrition, mental training, off ice and training on ice. I do many showcases, spring hockey, summer hockey, and private training so that I can be the best I can. I work with some great coaches and also an athlete mentor that have really helped me to get to where I am now. Hockey is everything to me. Our family is a hockey family and I have learned so much from all of them, especially my brothers.

*Allred: Playing for a great, hard-working, and top level team has required a lot of hard work and commitment but I wouldn't trade it for anything. There are a lot of long drives to games and hard practices. It is all worth it at the end of the day. All of the hard work and dedication has paid off and I get to go to Nationals with a great team that plays for each other and great coaches that support us and dedicate their time to develop us and help us reach our goals.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.