Rachel Suttle began her soccer career playing for the University of Georgia. Due to changes with the coaching staff, Suttle decided to transfer after her freshman year. She was stuck between staying near home in Georgia, with the risk of no longer playing the sport she loves, or leaving to find another home much further away. 

The Atlanta native entered the transfer portal late, which gave her fewer options. Suttle wanted to stay within the Southeastern Conference (SEC), but by that time many schools already committed their money to other players. During a conversation with her family her sister finally asked, “What about Howard University?”

“ I never really considered it athletically.” said Suttle. “But I obviously knew about the prestigious university and all the amazing people that come out…and the opportunities.” 

Suttle wanted a good athletic and academic college experience. She knew Howard would provide her with the resources and connections needed to succeed in life outside of soccer. 

It turns out that she made the right choice. Howard University’s women’s soccer team was recognized for the first time in history as National Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season champions as well as conference champions.

Throughout the whole season Suttle shined. She went from 861 minutes in 2022 to 321 minutes in 2023 to an ongoing 1764 minutes during the 2024 season. “Last year was very much a part of my testimony,” says Suttle. “God, at the end of the day, is gonna put you in the position you need to be in when the time is right.” Having played on competitive teams in high school, she has brought that experience and leadership skills to the team, which wasn’t without its challenges. 

“ It built me as a teammate, it built me as a person ,and built me as a player. I know how it feels to not play, so I will never take it for granted.” said Suttle. 

The NEC player of the year recognized her success as “ blessings received from God,” while acknowledging the influence of her athletic family and the support from her teammates.

“Honestly I have an amazing team, overall everyone plays together so it makes my job pretty easy,” added Suttle. 

The season results have been a collective effort from every player. Last year, they lost in the semi-finals. There was a weight carried on each players’ shoulder which reflected in their renewed hunger to finish this season as NEC champions. 

 The historic run has left a lasting impact. “ I don't even think it's processed for a lot of the girls, myself included, what we just did and the history we just made,” said Suttle.

The Howard women's soccer team defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University for the second time this season and punched a ticket to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)  women's soccer tournament.

Duke University will host the lady bison for their first NCAA tournament appearance. Suttle and her teammates are entering Durham, North Carolina confident that they will compete. “We’re not going in there without a fight ,we’re going in to play,” said Suttle.