After playing soccer together for over a decade, seniors Erin Roepke and Sydney Stephens will move from longtime teammates to college rivals as Roepke heads to Concordia University Wisconsin and Stephens enters the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
“Playing together for so long has always been fun and sparked friendly competition between us on the field,” Stephens said.
The two began playing together in first grade, when Roepke encouraged Stephens to join the Incarnate Word recreational team. Stephens recalls one particular seventh grade Incarnate Word game in which their camaraderie shined.
“The game was tied and there were only a few minutes left, not to mention it was raining. Instead of playing in the goal, I was a field player. By assisting each other, Erin and I were able to score the game winning goal. After the final whistle blew, everyone on the team slid through the mud puddles,” Stephens said. “It was a surreal game that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
The pair also participated in indoor soccer together at Ascension. Although they played for different club teams because Roepke is actually over a year older than Stephens, their club teams never played against each other. When they entered high school, they found themselves on the same team again, both making the varsity soccer team as freshmen.
“It’s just really cool growing up playing a sport with somebody and being with somebody who shares the same interests with you,” Roepke said. “We’ve been in the same soccer family.”
Roepke describes Stephens as supportive, hard-working, a strong athlete, and a teammate on and off the field. Stephens says Roepke is hard-working during practice and on the field, is a fierce competitor, and has a “killer left foot.” They credit each other with their growth as players.
“Through soccer we have grown closer by pushing each other to become better,” Stephens said. “Over the summer we would go to a park and hang out while practicing. Since soccer is a major part in both of our lives, we have a lot in common.”
Although Roepke says they both always knew they would play soccer in college because of their passion for the game, they did not expect to be playing on rival teams.
“When we first realized we would be playing against each other in college, we immediately started the smack talk,” Stephens said.
Although the teammates joked around about their future rivalry, Roepke was excited to find out Stephens would be in Wisconsin, the place Roepke considers home.
“[When I first found out] I was like ‘I am ready for this, I am ready to kick her butt,’” Roepke joked. “No, I thought it was kind of neat because Wisconsin has always been somewhere I knew I would end up for college because it’s home for me so I knew I would go back. When I figured out she found a place up there too where she would fit in, I thought that was really neat.”
Both admit that there’s bound to be competitiveness between them especially because Roepke plays forward or midfield and Stephens is the goalie.
“I think we’re definitely going to be competitive because it’s the same league. We’re both going to be wanting our teams to do well and to get into the NCAA tournament. But I feel like we’ll also be supportive of each other at the same time, because it’s whoever plays the hardest and does the best in the game that deserves it,” Roepke said. “If one of our teams didn’t make it and the other did, I feel like we’d both support each other.”
Stephens agrees, saying that although they will be competitive as rivals, she will of course support her former teammate.
“I will always support Erin and be happy for all of her successes. However, I want to win just as badly as she does. No matter who the winner is, we will always cheer each other on,” Stephens said. “After all, we have been teammates and friends since first grade.”
Despite the competitive nature their college soccer days might hold, Roepke and Stephens will maintain the soccer bond they have kept for over ten years.
“I remember her mom at our last rec game ever taking a picture and being like ‘We’ve got to keep taking these pictures, you guys have been playing together this long, there’s going to be more.’” Roepke said.
