High school girls’ hockey players from local towns have a unique opportunity to participate in a co-op team this winter season. Two athletes from Newtown High School (NHS), Mia Paltauf and Rory Coon, compete for an eight-school team which is based out of the Rinks at Shelton. Without having a girls’ hockey program exclusively for NHS, Paltauf and Coon have the opportunity to play their sport competitively through this program, led by Masuk High in Monroe.

Paltauf has been playing hockey for 10 years, and is a junior forward on the team. Coon was inspired to begin playing hockey by watching her brother play. Coon plays left wing, and she has been playing for five years.

Paltauf and Coon enjoy playing with this group because they are able to meet people from different towns that they most likely would not have otherwise interacted with. In addition to the Newtown and Masuk players, the team includes athletes from Joel Barlow of Redding, Lauralton Hall of Milford, Shelton, New Milford, Notre Dame-Fairfield, and Weston.

“It’s nice meeting new people from other towns,” Coon said.

Because the athletes spend so much time together at the rink, they get to know each other well and form close bonds.

“I’m excited for a good season with some of my closest friends,” Paltauf said.

High school sports often have different traditions and team spirit; although a mosaic of players from many different schools, the Masuk Panther co-op team is no exception.

“We do lots of team bonding and we do pregame dances,” Paltauf said.

“I can’t wait to make new friends and play hockey. Our goal is to play hard and have fun,” Coon said.

There are Paltaufs on both hockey teams at NHS as Mia’s brother, Markus Paltauf, is a goalie on the NHS boys’ team. Markus and Mia sometimes practice together on the rink their dad builds in their backyard.

With the season just beginning, the girls hope for a great year both on and off the ice with their co-op team.