Palm Springs’ 10 Players Enough to Beat Estancia

Despite playing a man short for more than half the match, Palm Springs High School scored a late goal and defeated Estancia, 1-0, in the quarterfinals of the 1-A boys’ soccer playoffs Friday at Estancia.

With seven minutes remaining, Julio Romo took a shot from the corner that Estancia goalkeeper Will Bohuslaviski knocked down. As the ball bounced around in front of the goal, Miguel Lozano stepped up and scored for Palm Springs (22-3-1), the division’s second-seeded team.

Lozano’s goal--his 34th of the season--set off a celebration by Palm Springs, which had been playing with only 10 players since Richard Weiszmann was ejected with six minutes left in the first half.

Until Weiszmann, a standout player who moved to Palm Springs from Czechoslovakia in December, was kicked out for disputing a referee’s call, Palm Springs appeared in control of the match. Early in the half, the Indians had a couple of good scoring opportunities and held off Estancia’s offense.

Weiszmann received a red-card ejection and will be barred from playing in Palm Springs’ semifinal match on Tuesday. Estancia played without Greg Burrows, who received a red-card ejection Tuesday in the Eagles’ 2-1 victory over Artesia.

With the man advantage, Estancia (12-9-3) turned it around and outshot Palm Springs, 8-4, in the second half. Only once, however, did the Eagles come close to scoring. Jose Medrano’s looping shot midway through the half hit the crossbar, and Palm Springs goalkeeper Ricky Vasquez picked up the ball after it bounced for a couple of seconds near the goal line.

The Eagles controlled the middle of the field in the second half, but first-year Coach John Ursini said the team couldn’t maintain control close enough to the Palm Springs goal to score.

“We kept improving each game and as a coach that’s all I can ask for,” Ursini said.