Published in the April 19, 2017 edition

PIONEER TEAMMATES and friends celebrated with Lilli Patterson (center) during signing day festivities held at the LHS gymnasium. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

PIONEER TEAMMATES and friends celebrated with Lilli Patterson (center) during signing day festivities held at the LHS gymnasium. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

LYNNFIELD — The transformation from a Pioneer into a Husky officially began last Thursday for Lynnfield High School senior Lilli Patterson.

Wearing a Northeastern University baseball cap and surrounded by family, friends, teammates, coaches and the red and black colors of the Northeastern University Huskies, Patterson signed her letter of intent to play field hockey for the NCAA Div. 1 school.

LYNNFIELD Pioneer Lilli Patterson officially became a Husky last Thursday when she signed her letter of intent to play field hockey for Div. 1 Northeastern University.  (Maureen Doherty Photo)

LYNNFIELD Pioneer Lilli Patterson officially became a Husky last Thursday when she signed her letter of intent to play field hockey for Div. 1 Northeastern University. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

Patterson, who serves LHS as the president of her class and as the vice president of the National Honor Society, is ranked 15th in her class with a 4.11 weighted GPA. She intends to pursue her degree in nursing.

“Northeastern has one of the best nursing programs and they’ve allowed me the opportunity to do nursing and field hockey, which is something I never thought I’d have a chance to do,” she said following the ceremony.

That Patterson will compete at a Div. 1 school is a testament to her athletic abilities. She never touched a field hockey stick until the summer prior to her freshman year at LHS when she attended a camp. She had to decide between continuing with soccer or switching to field hockey, and she has not regretted that decision as she fell in love with the game of field hockey.

Her talent was immediately noticed by LHS field hockey coach Mamie Reardon who found a spot for Patterson on the varsity team as a freshman. She continued to excel throughout her four years, making the CAL All Star second team as a sophomore, the CAL All Star first team as a junior and the CAL Player of the Year and first team All Star as a senior.

Serving as a team captain for two years, Patterson was also selected as the September 2016 Scholar Athlete of the Month by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) which is an honor reserved for just one male and one female athlete in the state per month across all sports.

She was also recognized as a standout player among the Best of 60 Field Hockey team, which is a statewide honor, and was her team’s MVP as both a junior and a senior. She plays field hockey on a club team to continually hone her skills.

Patterson is also a three-sport captain. She is currently captain of the girls’ lacrosse team and was a captain of the girls’ indoor track team in addition to being the Girls’ Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year.

While she played center back for the Pioneers last season she will likely play a back position for NU.

Coach Reardon said, “I’m so happy. I’m so proud because we didn’t think she was going to play” at the collegiate level due to the demands of her chosen major.

FIELD HOCKEY athlete Lilli Patterson (center) was joined by her coach and family members at her signing ceremony committing to play field hockey for Northeastern. From left: Pioneer field hockey coach Mamie Reardon, her mother, Mei Patterson, her sister, Tia Patterson, and her father, Dave Patterson. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

FIELD HOCKEY athlete Lilli Patterson (center) was joined by her coach and family members at her signing ceremony committing to play field hockey for Northeastern. From left: Pioneer field hockey coach Mamie Reardon, her mother, Mei Patterson, her sister, Tia Patterson, and her father, Dave Patterson. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

“She was such a great leader on our team and she was a presence on the field. Her leadership was a really special thing. She was one of the best leaders I ever had. She really took care of things. She could size up a situation and knew what needed to be done,” Reardon said.

These skills transferred well on the playing field where Patterson was known for her dogged determination in her pursuit of controlling the ball and interrupting the playmaking abilities of her opponents.

“I’m so happy she has this chance to play because she is such a force out there. She hasn’t reached her potential yet. We don’t know what her potential is.”

Lilli is the daughter of David and Mei Patterson. Her older sister Tia attends Boston College where she also runs track.