Thousand Oaks Is Set for Busy Stretch

The Thousand Oaks High boys’ soccer team produced a victory and a tie Friday at the Buena tournament, kicking off a stretch that could either boost its program to new heights or leave it hamstrung for the season.

The Lancers, who routed Oxnard, 4-1, and deadlocked with Santa Paula, 1-1, are on track to play seven games in an eight-day period that began Friday.

Should Thousand Oaks (5-2-1) advance to the tournament’s title match this afternoon after concluding pool play in the morning, its four tournament matches will be a wearisome prelude to three crucial Marmonte League contests next week.

“We’ve got to take it one game at a time,” Lancer captain John Krill said. “If we look ahead at our schedule, we’ll freak out.”

Thousand Oaks roared past Oxnard in its morning game, although the Yellowjackets (1-3-2) briefly forged a 1-1 tie two minutes before halftime on a goal by Andres Ponce. Jeremy Terrell scored on two headers and Krill and Danny Ermolovich also score.

Against Santa Paula (4-1-5), Thousand Oaks seized control of the scoreless game in the second half but surrendered a 40-yard shot by Rolando Lira with three minutes left.

A minute later, however, Chris Jack raced in on Santa Paula goalkeeper Juan Elias and scored by chipping the ball over him from 20 yards.

Elias was outstanding, making eight saves and stopping three breakaways, but Cardinal Coach Manny Elizarraraz winced at his goalkeeper’s habit of rushing to the top of the penalty area to seize loose balls and challenge shooters.

“I tell him he’s got to be smart about when he comes out, especially when we have defenders in place to clear the ball,” Elizarraraz said. “And that’s exactly what happened on the goal. But it was his best game of the season.”

Thousand Oaks will need spectacular performances of its own to escape the next week unscathed. Should the Lancers play in today’s 1 p.m. tournament final, they will face either Buena or Moorpark, which tied Friday. Both the Bulldogs and Musketeers were Southern Section division semifinalists last season.

Monday, Thousand Oaks hosts defending Marmonte League champion Royal, then plays Camarillo and Simi Valley, both playoff participants last season, to conclude the week.

Thousand Oaks has not qualified for the postseason since the 1992-93 season, finishing fourth three times. The league’s top three teams earn automatic playoff berths.