Ventura County Fusion soccer club announced Thursday it has hired Loyola Marymount assistant coach Michelle Myers as the first head coach of the Fusion women's team.

The Fusion, which fielded a men's team in the United Soccer League's Premier Development League last summer, will also begin play in the W-League, the top women's league in North America, next May.

Myers, a LMU graduate, just wrapped up her 12th season on staff, helping the Lions consistently amass some of the nation's top recruiting classes. She's also coached in Cal South's Olympic Development program since 1996, winning six regional titles and two national championships.

"Michelle was the obvious choice because of her success in the women's game," said Fusion general manager Ranbir Shergill. "She's coached at the college level, she's coached at ODP and she's been responsible for a large part of the female talent that has emerged from Southern California."

Myers currently is the assistant coach for the Cal South girls '91 state team.

"It was important to have a coach that would be known and respected by the players," said Shergill. "We felt that Michelle had all the right qualities. She was our No. 1 target from the get-go."

Myers, who played collegiate for four years at Santa Clara University, also coached at Rancho Santiago Community College in 1995 and Santa Ana's Mater Dei High from 1992 to 1995.

"I'm excited," said Myers. "It's about time to have something like this in Southern California because of the amount of talent we have out here. There isn't much after college for the female player to do. "I think it's going to take off and build into something special."

Fusion fans can expect from the women's team the same type of skillful play the men's team produced last summer.

"I like to play the game the way it was supposed to be played," said Myers. "I've always been a student of the game. I believe in a possession-oriented game and being organized on defense. Our hope is to spread things out offensively, take care of business in the 18-yard boxes and make it a game that people want to watch."

Former Pepperdine assistant coach Kristy Walker, an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-15 national team, will be Myers' assistant.

"Kristy and I have always been looking for an opportunity to work together," said Myers. "We've coached against each other many times. We've always said that we'd like to work together."

Work has already begun putting together a roster that will be anchored by local players.

"I got back to the Final Four this year and you watch USC win with nine Southern Californians on the field," said Myers. "We have such a wealth of talent. Other clubs may be looking to bring in foreign players, but I don't see that as the route that I want to go.

"I want this to be an opportunity for people who have grown up here or maybe were college players in this area."