Growing up in Oceanside, California, Molly Myers never thought the she would wear a San Diego Surf jersey.

Not only is the Surf one of the top clubs in the WPSL this season, is also is one of the most prolific soccer academies in the United States. With more than 157 players featured within the national team pool, the San Diego Surf are a perennial power in California youth soccer.

And Myers relished the chances she got to beat them.

Throughout her youth career, Myers played for a number of California academies, including the Oceanside Breakers and West Coast FC. Throughout those years, the Surf proved to be her stiffest competition.

“I was never really a big fan of Surf,” Myers said. “They were always my rival team, and I loved playing against them. I never thought I would be wearing a Surf jersey.”

Now, though, Myers is.

After a terrific freshman season with Washington State University, which she tallied three goals and one assist, Myers was exploring options for offseason training. She had previously heard of the WPSL but never seriously considered joining a team.

That is until her former high school teammate, Brooke Wilson, asked Myers to come tryout for the WPSL team she was playing for, hoping for a chance to play alongside one of her best friends again.

Wilson left out one important detail: The team Myers would be trying out for was the San Diego Surf.

“Brooke knew to not tell me the team was Surf, so I never knew it was Surf,” Myers said. “After the first practice, the coaches are giving us our gear. I look down, and it’s Surf. I just thought, 'You have got to be kidding me.'”

Despite the jersey, Myers knew after her lone practice with the club that the team was a perfect fit. With a number of players that she had previously played with on California Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams as well as a terrific coach in Kate Norton, Myers made the decision to stay with the club. Thus far, the results have been staggering.

Through two games, the Surf have an undefeated record and a plus-eight goal differential. Myers has been instrumental in San Diego’s success, scoring five goals in the two games, leading the entire WPSL in scoring through two weeks.

Myers is a lethal goal scorer that can finish with both feet and has the vision to set up teammates for goal scoring opportunities. Although Myers has only one year of collegiate experience, Norton has been most impressed with her work ethic and leadership.
 

“Molly has had a positive impact in games, clearly with scoring in both games and her four goals on Saturday, but also in training sessions,” Norton said. “She's very competitive but has a calm demeanor that brings out the best in her teammates.”

As the season progresses, the Surf are looking to cement themselves as one of the top championship contenders in the WPSL. With one of the most of the complete rosters in the league, the Surf now sit atop the Pac South San Diego Division.

Myers credits both her individual success and the team’s collective prowess to the culture that the entire squad has developed.

“It starts with Coach Norton, the way she coaches,” Myers said. “She is such a positive person. You look at her and just smile and are excited to learn. She doesn’t just coach soccer, she coaches life skills.

“On the field, our team is so competitive and they’re not selfish. Everybody wants to go out there and they want to win.”

With just two games played, the Surf still have a lot to prove, but the experience has been incredibly enriching for Myers. She leads the team with five goals, while her Rancho Buena Vista High School teammate Wilson leads the team with three assists. The chemistry that this team already possesses has been a marked advantage for the club and is likely to continue to build throughout the rest of the season.

Later this Summer, Myers will return to Pullman, Washington to begin her training camp with Washington State University. She has goals of becoming one of the top offensive players in the Pac-12 while helping the Cougars compete for a conference championship.

Unsurprisingly, Myers has professional aspirations once her collegiate career concludes.

“Playing professionally has been my goal since I was a little girl,” Myers said. “Possibly National Team, Olympic Team, those are all dreams of mine that I want to achieve when I get older.”

With an uncanny work ethic and the technical ability to match, it is safe to say that a professional career could be on the horizon for Myers. For now, she is focused on leading the San Diego Surf to a WPSL Championship.

Myers may still have some animosity towards the club after the long rivalry throughout her youth career. But as they say, winning heals everything. And the Surf’s treatment plan, thus far, is second to none.