Cornell senior midfielder Dillyn Patten is building on her family’s legacy in lacrosse while making her own mark both at the collegiate and international levels. Earlier this month, Patten joined Team England for a tournament in Maryland as part of the squad’s U.S. tour from October 2 to 12, which serves as preparation for an upcoming world tour.
During the Maryland competition, Team England secured victories over George Mason, George Washington, and Towson. Patten was named Player of the Match in the win against Towson.
“It was such an incredible experience to play with Team England that weekend,” Patten said. “Even though most of the girls are from the UK and only get to practice together once a month, we played really well together and won all three games.”
Patten’s involvement with Team England continues a family tradition. Her father, James Patten, who was born in England, played collegiate lacrosse at Hobart College before representing England internationally after graduation.
“I definitely feel like I’m following in his footsteps,” she said. “He’s someone I’ve always looked up to.”
The Maryland tournament also gave Patten an opportunity to reconnect with Ashleigh Smith Gloster, a Cornell alumna who has represented Team England at multiple world championships and served as a coach during the event.
“It was amazing to be coached by someone who’s experienced both teams — Cornell and England,” Patten said. “Being coached by her while playing for England like my dad felt like a full circle moment.”
Team England’s roster features more than 20 athletes based in the UK along with five players from the United States.
“My goal with Team England is to keep being molded into the kind of player I know I can be,” she said. “I’m working toward earning a spot in the World Games in Japan this summer and, ultimately, for the Olympics in 2028. That’s the dream.”
At Cornell, Patten has become known as a consistent offensive contributor for Big Red women’s lacrosse. Over her sophomore and junior years combined, she scored 38 goals with eight assists across two seasons and started all 15 games during her junior year.
Entering her senior season after losing 16 seniors last year, Patten emphasized team rebuilding efforts: “Our goal is to be true competitors,” she said. “We lost 16 seniors last year, so this fall has been about rebuilding and rebranding who we are as a team. What I’ve seen in fall ball so far is really promising — we’re hungry, we’re connected, and we’re ready to compete.”
Patten studies communications with a minor in business at Cornell and plans to attend graduate school after graduating this spring. She hopes to use one remaining year of collegiate eligibility while pursuing further education.
Athletic achievement runs throughout her family: Her mother Corinne played soccer at Cornell; older sister Kendall played soccer for Big Red between 2019–23; younger sister Sydney is currently playing lacrosse at UPenn.
Originally from New Canaan, Connecticut—where she was twice named USA Lacrosse All-American—Patten led her high school team into state championship contention while also excelling as an all-state soccer player.
Reflecting on how far she has come since those early days through international play today: “Cornell has given me so much,” she said. “To now represent both my school and my heritage on the field — it’s something I’ll never take for granted.”
