STAMFORD - Elysia Pan fell in love with lacrosse five years ago while visiting her cousin in Virginia, a hotbed for the sport. One day the two started tossing a ball around and, as Pan said, "I got hooked."

Pan, a junior at Stamford High School, started playing in leagues sponsored by the Stamford Youth Foundation. Still, there was a palpable void she wanted to fill.

"I always was hoping there would be a girls team at the school and I wanted to do anything I could to help make it happen," Pan said.

Across town, at Westhill, Maggie Cearley shared Pan's sentiments. A three-sport standout, Cearley first picked up a lacrosse stick three years ago and enjoyed the sport so much she started playing on the school's boys team.

"It was a lot of fun, and I started talking to some girls who were interested in trying it out," Cearley said.

Thanks to that curiosity, the drive of people like Pan and Cearley, and the support of the administrations at the two schools, this spring Westhill and Stamford females have a sport of their very own.

Girls lacrosse was officially introduced this spring, with both teams playing a junior varsity schedule for at least the first two years as they develop their programs. There are currently over 60 players combined at the two schools, many of who have been introduced to one of the fastest growing sports in the country for the first time.

The early reviews have been unanimously positive.

"The girls really love it," said Pete Samperi, Stamford's athletic director. "I always walk around to the different practices and they seem to be having a great time."

Mike King, the athletic director at Westhill, said the level of enthusiasm for his program's newest addition has surpassed even his rosy hopes.

"We had a huge turnout, which exceeded my expectations," King said. "I anticipated having 25-30 kids try out and we had well over 50. It's been a huge success.

Both athletic directors said the genesis for the introduction of girls lacrosse, which for the two previous years had operated as a cooperative club team, was an outcry from the school community.

"A bunch of girls asked about it and a couple of parents asked," King said. "There was definitely interest."

Seeking the addition of new sports teams is not unusual, but passing them through, at a time when schools are dealing with budget crunches and looking where they can cut instead of add, is a much more arduous process.

"When we first made the proposal to the Board of Education they wanted to know the cost of running it, and Mike and I made phone calls," Samperi said. "I was surprised they gave the OK."

The start-up cost at each school ran somewhere between $25,000-$30,000.

When looking for a coach, Samperi found someone with experience in his own building. Kyaiera Mistretta, an English teacher, played at Greenwich High School and for the club team at George Washington University.

While she had never coached before, she had the knowledge of the game and the energy and passion a start-up needed.

"It's going really well," Mistretta said. "We decided to set a small goal, to score one goal every game, and we've met and exceeded that."

Stamford has already tied one contest, with Danbury, but right now wins are secondary to the long-term picture.

"We're really building a strong foundation with the basic skills," Mistretta said. "Girls lacrosse is different from the boys game. The boys' is based on strength and the girls' speed and finesse."

Pan, one of the Black Knights' captains, said the chance to represent her school and see so many of her teammates develop a passion for the sport she has long loved has been fulfilling.

"So far it's been great," Pan said. "It was a little like dipping your feet into the waters because you weren't sure what was going to happen. It's been a blast."

In contrast Westhill's coach, Emily Lisi, has been like many of her players, picking up the game on the fly. The school's field hockey coach, Lisi had no previous experience in the sport, and spent the time leading up to the first practices by reading books, watching video and learning from others.

"They needed a lacrosse coach and asked me if I would do it," said Lisi, who teaches science at the school. "I have a lot of the girls in class or they are my field hockey players. I like the challenge. In the beginning I knew I had a lot to learn and it would take a lot to get the hang of it. I still have a lot to learn."

The Vikings got their first win against Stamford and have also defeated Norwalk.

"A lot of schools don't expect us to be good and we still have a way to go, but we play hard to the last minute," said Cearley, who is one of Westhill's captains. "We're all having a good time. It's good to have a sport available to girls in the spring that is not softball, which is so competitive."

Cearley said her biggest transition has been playing with the girls instead of the boys.

"It's kind of bittersweet not playing with the guys, but the girls are just organizing and we hope to help the sport build upon itself year after year," she said. "Success comes in the numbers and we had so many girls try out. There's definitely a bright future and I'm happy to be a part of it."

Samperi said the current game plan is for Stamford to play one more year on the junior varsity level before becoming a varsity team in 2010. King said he wants to be a little more conservative and wait until 2111.

"The coaching staff is doing a good job, the parents have been great, the girls are working really hard," King said. "There's been a real positive vibe around it from all angles."

Everyone involved with girls lacrosse at the two schools said they expect it to continue to skyrocket in the years ahead.

"I'm so glad this actually happened while I'm still in high school," Pan said. "I think it is only going to get better. I hope so."