(Photo Courtesy of Collin Patrick/Instagram)

Keegan Wilkinson and the Marist Red Foxes picked up a commitment last week from Middle Creek (N.C.) junior attackman Collin Patrick.

The Tar Heel State native is the third commitment in the class for the Red Foxes, joining Syosset (N.Y.) midfielder Dylan Stadler and Loyola Blakefield (Md.) defenseman Barret Jorgensen.

“It was a lot of things. The coaches, the size of the school, their program history, and their interest in me,” Butler told Lacrosse Bucket in a message.

Marist first made contact with Patrick on September 1st and was able to get him on campus for a visit in October.

Patrick’s commitment continues to the North Carolina pipeline that the Red Foxes have built up in recent years. Marist currently has five players on their roster currently from the state and have one player signed from the Tar Heel State in the 2022 class. One of the Red Foxes’ most notable players in recent years, faceoff man Peyton Smith, also hailed from the state.

“It feels awesome,” Patrick said when asked about having the opportunity to be part of that pipeline. “It’s great that a program like Marist not only recognizes North Carolina talent but actively seeks it out.”

The attackman is coming off a sophomore spring in 2021 where put up 23 goals and 13 assists while leading Middle Creek to an 11-0 regular season record, and showcasing his ability to be a playmaker – especially around the cage as bother a scorer and feeder. Patrick said he describes himself as a “quick attackman” who looks to make his teammates better.

He was named a First-Team All-Conference and Second-Team selection All-State this past spring.

Patrick mentioned that the Marist coach staff has expressed that they especially love his speed, vision, and shooting, as well as his ability to make plays in the riding game.

Coming into his junior season in 2022, Patrick says that his goals are the same as they have always been, “to get better, to become a leader, make everyone around me better, and win game.”