Zach Susee leads the men’s soccer team with six assists. (Jialing Sun | Student Life)

Junior Zach Susee has been a standout for the Washington University men’s soccer team this season. Susee has started in all eight of the team’s games so far this year, and he has recorded four goals and a team-high six assists. The Minnesota native is also a captain for the Bears. Susee sat down with Student Life to discuss growing up with former collegiate athlete parents, his goals for the 2024 season, and which professional player he models his game after.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Student Life (SL): How did you get into the sport of soccer?

Zach Susee (ZS): My dad was a Division I soccer player. When I was three or four years old, he put me in the rec and from there, I just loved it. It was my main sport, starting from like six and onwards, I played travel and I credit my dad mostly for that aspect of it.

SL: Both of your parents were collegiate athletes. How did that influence the athlete you are today?

ZS: Just being able to ask them both for advice. My mom was a college gymnast, so she always took the more injury prevention side and my dad is like the psychopath soccer player, kind of, so he was always pushing me harder. He wanted me to buy cleats that were two sizes too small, and they would debate over stuff like that. It really helped me, not only with my motivation, but also just having someone to talk to that understood growing up as an athlete and having the same ambitions as I did was huge for my development. 

SL: When did you decide that you wanted to play college soccer and how did you land on WashU?

ZS: I probably decided I wanted to play college soccer when I was like seven. My dad had this big poster in our basement that was from his senior year at [University of] Richmond that had him and a couple other guys on it. Being a curious kid, I asked him about it and he was like, “Yeah, that was when I played college soccer.” And I was like, that’s what I want to do. I had a really long, dragged-out recruiting process. I took a gap year, so it took me a while before I decided on WashU. But I think [former head coach] Joe [Clarke] was a big, big influence in that. And then I just really liked the academic side of it. The year before I came, they won the conference championship. So being able to compete for that and also go to a top 25 university was such a good draw, it’s hard to turn down.

SL: In your senior year of high school, you won the Gatorade Minnesota State Player of the Year Award. What was that experience like?

ZS: You know, because it was COVID, it was a little bit less. I didn’t have to give a speech or anything, which I was really happy about. Normally, there’s a big state tournament banquet in Minnesota, and I remember seeing, when I was a junior, the seniors all having to give their speech. I was like, “I do not want to do that,” but it was really cool just to get the recognition after working so hard. And it’s kind of cool that there’s a banner of me up in Shakopee High School. I worked at a summer camp this last summer, and there’s a couple people that work there that go to Shakopee High School, and they looked up at me and they’re like, “You’re the guy from the poster.” I’m like, “Yep, that’s me.” It’s a little awkward, but it’s funny that people know me that way now.

SL: Obviously, you performed at a very high level in high school. What was the transition to WashU and collegiate soccer like?

ZS: It was definitely different. When I came in I had only pretty much ever played forward or attacking midfielder, and the first eight games of my college career, I played center defensive midfield, just because we had a ton of injuries my freshman year and that was where we needed players. I’m happy to play anywhere but it was definitely different. Obviously the speed of play is significantly higher than high school, so it’s definitely an adjustment. This year, I finally settled into the flow of play a little bit more and put on a little bit more weight and got a little more physical, which has helped a lot.

SL: You are a captain on the team this year. What does that leadership role look like?

ZS: It’s definitely been a bit of a weird adjustment, just because when you come in, there’s these old guys, and you’re like, “They’ve been here forever, they know everything.” Then when you get to that position, and you’re the one that’s the old guy, you’re like, they didn’t know anything, you’re pretty much doing it on the fly. Obviously with the new coaching staff, that’s also been an adjustment, but I think it’s been good. We had a lot better turnouts at captain’s practices this year, and it’s definitely fun to be in a leadership role and on a team.

SL: How has the transition from coach Joe Clarke to coach Andrew Bordelon been?

ZS: It’s been good. Joe’s been here since, I think it was ‘97 or ‘98 and been in college soccer since the ‘80s, so whenever that happens, there’s gonna be an adjustment period. Bordelon has really come in and energized our program a lot with the style of play we’re playing this year, which is really fun. And, you know, coming in practicing right away, we’re playing all the time. I think that was a good way to galvanize the troops. I think guys really are enjoying playing for Coach this year.

SL: Talking about the style of play, what is the style of play under Bordelon?

ZS: We’re a team that wants to dominate possession, and then when we lose the ball, we want to win it back right away. So we’re keeping our numbers near the ball, trying to connect a lot of short passes and then open it up from there, and then suffocate the other team, and don’t even give them a chance to counterattack us.

SL: What are your goals for the season both personally and as a team?

ZS: I think the goal for everyone is to win a national championship. Everyone that comes to WashU comes here because they want to compete. They don’t come here because it’s just a school to go to to play soccer, we all came here because we want to win a national championship. I think that is the most important thing for everyone on the team. You know, the personal stuff  is whatever to me. I’d take a zero-goal and zero-assist season if it meant that we won a national championship.

SL: Shifting gears, you’re a Computer Science major. How did you come to decide on that?

ZS: My school had some computer science growing up. I took robotics in 8th grade and I took AP Computer Science Principles my freshman year and I absolutely hated it that year, so I didn’t do any more of it in high school. I came here, took [CSE] 131 and I was like wait, I actually really like this. I really like the appeal of the work-life balance of software and also just really like coding. I think it’s a fun puzzle to work on.

SL: What do you like to do for fun outside of soccer?

ZS: When I’m not stressed out of my mind, I play a lot of FIFA. I think guys on the team can attest that I put a lot of hours in on that. Then I spend time with my friends and call my girlfriend who is 500 miles away. Those are probably the three biggest things.

SL: Who do you model your game after?

ZS: My favorite player was Eden Hazard. I was a Chelsea fan growing up. I probably watched the video “Eden Hazard – The Art of Turning” on YouTube 150 times. I always wanted to play like him growing up because I’m a short guy. He was short and just a tricky dribbler. 

SL: If you could play a pickup soccer game with three professional players from any time in history, who would they be?

ZS: Oh, definitely Pelé, because I want to see how good he is. Like, I’m just so curious because he played in just such a different era. Probably in the same boat, I’d bring Maradona and Messi, because I think they’re the best of their three eras. It’d be cool to see them all in the field at same time and hopefully prove my point that Messi is by far the greatest player of all time.

SL: My last question is one that we ask in all of our Athlete of the Week interviews. Would you rather have fish for hands or adopt a child everytime you hear Bohemian Rhapsody?

ZS: I think I hear Bohemian Rhapsody at least 15 times a year. So I’m thinking, I’m 22, hopefully I live to at least 80. That’s a lot of children. That’s several hundred children. I’m gonna have fish for hands, I think that probably ends my soccer career as well. So I don’t know, either way I’m pretty much screwed, but I think I’m taking the fish for hands because I don’t think I can deal with, you know, many hundreds of children.

2024-2025 Athlete of the Week Tracker: Adopt a Child 0. Fish for Hands 1.