Fossil Ridge boys soccer's wild playoff run continues with walk-off upset win at No. 1 Boulder

These SaberCats sure do have a knack for the dramatic.

One week after advancing on penalty kicks at No. 16 Cherry Creek in the first round of Colorado's Class 5A high school boys soccer playoffs, they already one-upped it.

No. 17 Fossil Ridge went to Boulder on Tuesday night and took down the state's top-seeded team with a phenomenal walk-off goal in double overtime to advance into the quarterfinals.

What a way to do it.

After the teams played to a frenetic 2-2 draw through regulation, they went to overtime and then double overtime, where a golden goal (first team to score) would win it.

The SaberCats (11-6) made it happen in memorable fashion.

A free kick near midfield from senior Pedro Peres late in the second OT curled right to Sterling Bellendir, who was at the edge of the penalty box. With his back mostly to the goal, Bellendir leaped and sent a perfectly-arched header into the net's upper-right corner past Boulder goalkeeper Seamus Keller.

"It was our 11th free kick in that game, so we were ready for it and just kept going to that spot," Fossil Ridge head coach Dan Weiss said via phone after the game. "Sterling read it really well, just perfect and put it in the sweet spot right over the keeper.

"You don't see goals that good win a match very often. That's something he's going to remember forever."

Behind the goal: How Fossil Ridge boys soccer pulled off game-winner to beat No. 1 Boulder

The SaberCats instantly mobbed Bellendir on the field, a wild celebration befitting a team that has announced itself as a title contender in these playoffs.

It took penalty kicks in the first round, but senior goalkeeper Alexandre Seguin came up clutch like he has all season, blocking a pair of attempts against Cherry Creek to send Fossil Ridge on to Boulder for the second round.

The SaberCats played a fantastic match Tuesday just to reach overtime, equaling the home team's intensity on a cold, damp night at Christian Recht Field.

"Both teams came out with a lot of energy, and that's how it was all game really," Weiss said. "It was just 'attack, attack, attack' and never really settled down."

As Weiss referenced, the game-winner wasn't a total surprise.

The SaberCats' first-half goal looked almost identical to the walk-off header, only with Will Boyle winning a free kick in the box with an also-magnificent header from about 10 feet closer in than Bellendir's later attempt.

That tied the game at 1-1 heading into the break. The frantic play continued in the second half. The slick field led to plenty of through balls and sped the match up to a fast-and-furious pace.

"Those are the fun games to be in but they're also so emotional," Weiss said. "The boys get hyped from the intensity and you're trying to keep it all in check, especially against such a good team."

Another local walk-off: Liberty Common boys soccer wins playoff game on golden goal in final seconds of overtime

After Fossil Ridge took a 2-1 lead with about 12 minutes left on a nifty Nathan Riess finish past Keller, the SaberCats had a chance to close it out in regulation. However, a foul call in the box on Seguin gave the Panthers a late penalty kick that tied the match.

Instead of a demoralizing defeat in overtime, the late goal just set the stage for another walk-off win, something this Fossil Ridge team is quickly mastering.

While the result is certainly an upset, it didn't come entirely out of nowhere.

Fossil Ridge lost six regular-season matches, five of them by one goal and two of them in overtime. The SaberCats' plus-14 scoring margin in the regular season showed they often looked the part of a stronger team than their No. 17 seeding.

Plus, Boulder (13-3-1) needed overtime to get past Fossil Ridge in a 2-1 regular-season match. And the SaberCats pushed city and Front Range League champ Fort Collins to the brink just two weeks ago in a tight 2-1 loss.

Now the SaberCats have advanced farther than either after the Lambkins' second-round loss, bringing with them some bragging rights to hold over their city and league rivals.

"That moment meant a lot for our guys and for our program," Weiss said. "It feels like we're getting that monkey off our back after all the close losses during the season."

But as was noted earlier: this team is now a legitimate contender for the 5A state championship, one of just eight teams still standing.

Even after beating the top seed, the road ahead is not exactly easy. Fossil Ridge will travel to No. 8 seed Rock Canyon (14-2-1) on Saturday with a spot in the 5A Final Four on the line.

"The boys have been really positive, so it's important to keep our heads after this," Weiss said. "After any emotional win, you always want to manage your focus, so we're going to get back out there and practice hard.

"We won't forget (this one), but we know we have to be ready for the next one."

Chris Abshire is the sports and stats content coach at the Coloradoan. Contact him at ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fossil Ridge boys soccer upsets No. 1 Boulder in Colorado 5A playoffs