SOCCER SHOWCASE: T.O. RALLY BIG STEP FOR PROGRAM.

Byline: Erik Boal Special to the Daily News

Of the 14 teams competing at the inaugural Westlake Soccer Showcase, no one was faced with a tougher challenge Saturday than Thousand Oaks.

And no team took a bigger step forward than the Lancers.

Coming off a two-goal loss to Canyon of Canyon Country on Thursday and facing a two-goal deficit 10 minutes into their game with defending Southern Section Div. II champion Buena of Ventura, Thousand Oaks rallied for a 2-2 tie at Westlake High.

The game, which served as the undercard for the featured match between Harvard-Westlake and Westlake battle to a scoreless draw, as did Oak Park and Highland of Palmdale.

But none of the finishes were as exciting as the one produced by Buena and Thousand Oaks.

``This is a huge step up for us,'' first-year Thousand Oaks coach Geoff Raives said, after Jamie Axelrad tied the score in the 65th minute by rebounding a direct kick from Ali McCartney. ``To have that type of effort this early in the season is amazing.''

Yeraldy Hertado, selected Div. II Offensive Player of the Year last season, gave Buena (2-0-1) a 1-0 lead, converting a penalty kick in the eighth minute. Jazz Strozier increased the lead two minutes later off an assist from Rebecca Klamser.

Despite several opportunities to add to their advantage in the first half, the Bulldogs couldn't put away Thousand Oaks (1-1-1) - a semifinalist in Div. II last season.

Sammie Lane gave the Lancers a lift by controlling a loose ball in the penalty box with less than two minutes remaining in the half and burying a shot in the lower-right corner of the net.

``For most teams, it would've been over after that second goal,'' Raives said. ``But they came out and they got fired up. It didn't matter who they were playing. It's a testament to their integrity and their work rate. I'm very proud of them.''

Thousand Oaks relied heavily on goalkeeper Laura Brain in the second half, and the sophomore recorded five of her eight saves, including two on Buena corner kicks in the final five minutes.

``I thought we did an awesome job,'' Brain said. ``We have a lot of heart and we just kept pushing through the entire game.''

Buena and Thousand Oaks were two of the nine league champions competing Saturday. But it was Saugus - a third-place finisher in the Foothill League last season - that recorded its third consecutive shutout in a 1-0 victory against Ventura.

Dani Morin, a midfielder who has committed to UNLV, converted a penalty kick in the 32nd minute for the Centurions (4-0) after Jasmin Garcia was fouled.

Canyon, the four-time Foothill champion, also remained undefeated, relying on three-second half goals - two by Jessi Locke - to defeat Agoura 3-0. It was the Cowboys' third victory in five days over a Marmonte League opponent.

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Kathryn Klamecki (14) of Oak Park High, breaks up a play by Stephanie Sanchez on Saturday at the Westlake High School Soccer Showcase.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News