KEY ASSIST — Fairmont Area’s Eli Anderson (9) celebrates with teammate Hudson Artz (10) after Anderson assisted Artz’s game-tying goal with only six seconds remaining in regulation during Thursday night’s hockey game against Waseca at Martin County Arena in Fairmont. Anderson became the first Cardinal boys hockey player to eclipse the 100-point career scoring mark earlier this season. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — After crossing the career 100-point marker in his senior hockey season for Fairmont Area, defenseman Eli Anderson has established himself as one of the most reliable weapons on the team’s roster in both the passing and shooting aspects of the game.

With his high school playing career winding to a close, Anderson has earned 50 goals and 53 assists, including a goal and four assists in three playoff games.

“I don’t really know anybody else who’s gotten to 100 points, so it’s pretty cool,” Anderson said of reaching the milestone for the Fairmont Area boys program. “It took me four years, but there’s no weak spots in there. I gave it my all every time.”

With just one game remaining in the regular season, Anderson has picked up 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points, as he looks to finish his high school career by leading the Cardinals in goals and points during each of his four seasons with the club.

Although he initially started out playing forward, Anderson moved to defense as a result of the team wanting to add more depth at the position.

Anderson immediately made his presence felt during his debut campaign in the 2018-19 season, scoring nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points to lead the Cardinals in all three categories as a freshman.

“I got put on a good line in my freshman and sophomore years,” Anderson said. “It really helped me to build confidence and helped me to be the player that I am.”

Following a 2019-20 season that saw him avoid a sophomore slump with 14 goals and 34 points to again lead the team offensively, both Anderson and the Cardinals would run into a down year in 2020-21. Although Anderson netted eight goals and 17 points to pace Fairmont Area in both categories for a third straight season, the Cardinals went winless by finishing with an 0-18 record.

However, both the Cardinals and Anderson bounced back from the disappointing performance, as the current Cardinals have compiled a 7-16 record, with Anderson’s senior season being the most productive of his career from a goal-scoring standpoint.

“This year, we have a lot of guys that truly want to win,” Anderson said. “The record doesn’t show it, but these guys in the locker room want to win more than anybody.”

While excelling over the course of his four hockey seasons, Anderson also has put together an impressive resume as a wide receiver for the Cardinals football team. After a 2021 campaign which saw him break the school record for single-season receiving yards with 1,198, as well as grabbing 16 touchdowns, Anderson is looking to pursue football rather than hockey at the college level.

“There’s a couple of hockey teams talking with me, but I’m going to commit to football,” Anderson said.

Although he remains undecided on which team he’ll join for 2022, Anderson states that Northern State University or the University of Sioux Falls — both Division II programs — will be his final destination.