Goalkeeper Eli Anderson’s high school eligibility runs out after this season.

So Shadow Ridge may have to develop another starter that can continue to make pressure-packed shootout saves in the first round of postseasons. The problem is that goalkeepers as tall and talented as Anderson aren’t just sitting around Shadow Ridge’s cafeteria.

The senior’s one-handed deflection in Wednesday’s shootout helped Shadow Ridge advance in the inaugural soccer Open and avoid a first round upset.

The underdog Sierra Linda Bulldogs, the No. 22 seed, lost the shootout 4-3 but never backed down. It scored with 51 seconds remaining in the second overtime to tie its road match at 2-2, eventually sending it to a shootout.

But just like last year, when Anderson blocked three shootout attempts, Anderson saved the day again. Shadow Ridge’s Cassey Jarret, Logan Henley, Nathan Johansen, and Trenton Strong converted their shootout PK’s.

“I’m grateful to win it (first round playoff match) again this year,” Anderson said. “We just take it down to the wire every game and play our hearts out.”

Shadow Ridge’s hearts may have dropped when, with 18:43 remaining in regulation, it received a red card during a Sierra Linda breakaway.

Shadow Ridge was leading 1-0 at that point but played with 10 the rest of the entertaining match (24 unofficial combined shots). Jacob Engwall, the No. 10 for Shadow Ridge, was really hard to mark.

Sierra Linda tried its best, but the senior striker finally got away in the 57th and 87th minutes. He redirected a loose ball in the box passed Sierra Linda’s charging goalkeeper for the first goal of the match.

A player Sierra Linda coach Daniel Ramirez kept calling “Money,” Abantaki Alonda, was gold throughout the match defensively. The junior was responsible for staying with Engwall for most of the match.

His shining moment came when he slid to save an Engwall shot that was headed toward an open net with Shadow Ridge up 1-0. That hustle play also allowed Sierra Linda to tie the match with 9:39 remaining in regulation.

The man with a lethal right foot, sophomore Ryan Rivera Becerra, is dangerous on set pieces, and he finally found his target with a 24-yard strike that escaped Anderson’s outstretched arms and struck the far side netting. It remained 1-1 until Engwall’s second goal in the first overtime period.

After receiving a pass, Engwall eluded three defenders and then the goalkeeper for his 14th goal of the season.

“The playoffs started, and we know we are going to play good teams,” Engwall said. “I feel like we had way more chances and got unlucky. But at the end of the day we had one mistake with a red card. We rely on each other, and our goalie in the end just made a crazy save and kept us in the game.”

Shadow Ridge also was assessed a foul inside the penalty area with 51 seconds left in regulation.

But credit Sierra Linda for putting itself in that position while fighting to the very end. Senior captain Alejandro Aguirre converted the penalty kick after hesitating a bit before beating Anderson.

“We’ve been the underdog all season long,” Ramirez said. “But we still had a 10-1-1 (power ranking record). All of these kids have a lot of heart. We might not be the best technically, but everybody plays for each other and backs each other up.”

Sierra Linda goalkeeper Anthony Rivera, who made some great saves in his team's opening round Open match, said a quick prayer before Wednesday's shootout. (Jose Garcia photo/AZPreps365)

But in the end, Anderson had a hand in saving the match and helping his 12th seeded team advance to a Valentine second Open round date at No. 5 Washington on Friday.

Last year, Shadow Ridge celebrated it first ever soccer playoff game for the program. This time around, Shadow Ridge coach Andrew Engwall was a bit more subdued after escaping an upset.

“I don’t know if we could have made any more mistakes than we made tonight,” said Engwall, Jacob’s father. “But somehow they still managed to figure it out enough to just get out with the ‘W.’ There’s definitely a lot that needs to be fixed.”

Despite the loss, Sierra Linda’s season isn’t over.

The teams that lose in the first two rounds of the Open move on to play in their conference state tournaments.

Sierra Linda will find out on Saturday at about 8:30 a.m. on the azpreps365 Bracket Show who it will play in the first round of the 5A state tournament.