(Photo by Dave Adams)

Will Patton enters the MCLA Hall of Fame as an outstanding player.

As dominant a midfielder as the MCLA has seen, Patton was selected as an All-American three times in his career, including two first team selections. He was a three-time first team all-WCLL pick.

He finished his career with 109 goals and 58 assists, which ranks second all-time on the UCSB midfielder scoring list.

Patton’s career coincided with the halcyon days of UC Santa Barbara lacrosse. In the four seasons that he was on campus, the Gauchos made three trips to the national championship game with back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005.

He entered MCLA championship lore in ’05 when he played on a severely injured knee in the title game against Sonoma State and willed the Gauchos to the title. Patton was named the tournament MVP for his efforts.

“The MCLA represents to me the best of collegiate athletics,” Patton said. “True student-athletes focused on the betterment of their respective teams. The national championships brought teams together from every corner of the country and distilled them down to an elite level of competition. It was a very special time for our teams.”

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to be honored by the MCLA,” Patton continued. “It means a lot to represent all the players and coaches who built up non-traditional lacrosse hotbeds and accelerated the game to where it is today.”