Peifer, Eckert sign to become rivals on soccer field

Teammates and best friends for most of their life, Aspen Peifer and Amy Eckert signed up to become rivals on Wednesday.

At signing day inside Cheyenne Mountain High School, both four-year Indians’ starters inked to play in the Division I Big Sky Conference, with forward Peifer going to Montana, and defender Eckert inking to play at Northern Arizona.

“It’s just so crazy,” Peifer said between camera shots. "We’ve always been competitive with each other, but we were always on the same team. We have been since, like, we were (age) 5.”

Both girls put their pens to paper, along with 36 other soccer players around the area to finalize their collegiate plans.

For some soccer players around the area, like TCA’s Joanie Jacks, the flick of the pen brought excitement of things to come.

Click here to see our photo gallery of signing day

“(I) went to New York and went to Long Island University in Brooklyn and I fell in love with it immediately,” said Jacks, one of seven Titans to sign letters. “I love it there, I love the city. I’m a big-city girl.”

And for others, it brought up memories from seasons before.

“I just thought about all the good times I had with every girl along the way,” Eckert said. “I loved all the state success we had, but most of all I just loved the team here.”

Now, she has one more season to go.

Last season, the Indians (17-1) were nearly untouchable, going undefeated until they lost to Valor Christian in the quarterfinals 1-0.

This upcoming season, captains Peifer and Eckert — along with Hayley Patterson who signed to play at Azusa Pacific — know it’s their last chance at a title.

But mainly, they know it is probably their last chance to play with one another in the same jersey.

“I love these girls,” Peifer said, “and when I go (to Montana) I know I'll love those girls, too. But I am excited to play with these girls one more time.”

And before each game, Peifer and Eckert will do their gamely handshake when they are on the field together, as they’ve done for a handful of years prior.

And happily for them, that won’t change.

“When we meet in college, we’ll do the same before we play each other,” Eckert smiled. “That will still be our thing.”