Big crowds are in downtown St. Paul this week for the Girls State Hockey Tournament.

“These girls have worked so hard,” said Kim Simons, who has a daughter who plays for Dodge County.

“How could you not be here?” added Nancy Rasmussen, who has a granddaughter playing in the semi-final matchup. “Oh my gosh exciting, everybody is so looking forward to coming and watching the girls play.”

Simons is making noise on the other side of the rink — the Dodge County team made its first trip to State.

“Our program has worked so hard and just never gotten quite here so this is our first year here and it’s an amazing feeling,” Simons said.

Many of these fans believe this tournament is a prime example of just how much girls and women’s sports are growing.

“I feel a lot of girls work really hard to get where they are and I think every girls deserves to be seen like that now,” said Khloe Pagel, who goes to Orono High School.

The girls are playing in this same arena this week as the newest professional women’s hockey team in Minnesota, and many say they are a true inspiration.

“They’re just looking up in awe at these women and it’s just amazing,” Simons said.

“I think it’s motivating seeing the PWHL, it just makes every hockey girl motivated to try and get there,” Pagel added.

The girls state hockey tournament wraps up at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday.

You can watch the tournament here.