johnnash@wiltonvillager.com

WILTON — The idea has been bandied around town for a number of years now.

What would it take for Wilton High School to offer the sport of girls hockey to it students? What would the interest be? What would it take to get it done?

The answer will come on Wednesday night: It's called the first step.

"We've tried this for two years," said Hayes. "Now, it just seems like there are more girls and we're always looking to add sports if the interest in there. This might be the right time to do it, so we're investigating the possibilities."

Sloane Levy, who has two middle-school aged daughters who play hockey, has been one of the forces behind helping to get this meeting together.

"For a long time I've been asked if my kids would be interested in playing in the future," Levy said. "Parents have been trying to get this going for the last couple of years. It just never came to be."

Levy said trying to determine the interest around town has always been a word-of-mouth affair, where parents pin-point different kids and athletes who might be interested in helping to get a team started.

Next week, though, all those entities will put into a single room, with parents hoping there will be enough interest to warrant a Warriors girls team in the near future.

"We're not asking if you have played hockey before," said Levy. "Interest should be defined as would you be interested in playing hockey. You don't have to have played before. There's a lot of skaters out there would be fine hockey players."

Girls hockey numbers are at an all-time high.

According to USA Hockey, the number of registered female players around the country has risen nearly 10-fold, from 6,336 players in 1990 to 51,275 players by the end of 2005.

"It's big," Rae Briggle, senior director of member services at USA Hockey, told MSNBC.com. "Female hockey has just gotten huge in the last 10 to 12 years. It's our largest growing segment today."

That's also true in Wilton. There are currently seven seventh graders who play hockey on area club teams as well as a trio of eighth graders and ninth graders, too.

"It's not unique to Wilton," Levy said. "It's a phenomenon of girls hockey. Kids are interested. It's not taboo anymore. We just feel like its the right time for Wilton."

Lara Schnitzler, a freshman at Wilton, is one of those who wants to play with the Warriors name across her jersey.

"I think there is an interest and I think it'd be great to have a high school team," Schnitzler said. "There's been a lot of talk about it, at least between my friends. I think it would be great to give girls this opportunity."

Since girls hockey is not sanctioned by the CIAC, players can play for both their club team and their high school teams.

"My girls will play for both," said Levy. "It connects them to their school, it gives them school spirit. They want to wear that Wilton High jersey."

Depending on what the turnout is on Wednesday and how many girls show an interest in playing hockey, the school will take its next step.

"The meeting will help us decide if we have the numbers," said Hayes. "We just have to get the commiment, no matter what the numbers are."

Officials could start their own team or even, perhaps, become part of a co-op team with neighboring towns.

"My personal view (about a co-op team) is we'll take what we can get," added Levy. "It will start the momentum."

For now, though, that momentum could get a big boost on Wednesday if enough interested girls show up at the meeting.

Then, perhaps some day, Samantha and Perri Blicht, Levy's two daughters, might someday find themselves wearing the Wilton High colors on their hockey jerseys.