State College, PA - The Boston Junior Whalers Elite Hockey Club is pleased to share that longtime BJW '05 forward, Charlie Cerrato, has committed to Penn State University for the Fall of 2024.
Charlie, a native of Fallston, Maryland, grew up playing his youth hockey with the Philadelphia Little Flyers program. He first suited up for the Boston Junior Whalers as a squirt back in 2015, and has been a member of our BJW family ever since.
Growing up, Charlie was one of the catalysts leading the offensive of the annual powerhouse Philadelphia Little Flyers 2005 Team, who saw themselves at the top of the national rankings each year. At age 13, he made the jump across town to suit up for the Philadelphia Hockey Club U14 Team, where he registered a whopping 61 goals, adding 73 assists for 134 points in 68 games.
Following the success he had at the U14 level, Charlie packed his bags and ventured out to the Midwest where he joined the Detroit Honeybaked U15 Team for the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. Despite the shortened season, Charlie was able to perform well enough when it mattered to ultimately earn himself a roster spot on the United Stated Under-17 National Team Development Program roster for the following season.
Arriving in Ann Arbor, MI for the 2021-22 season, Cerrato quickly settled into a multitude of different roles with the USNTDP Under-17 Team in his rookie season in the USHL. Charlie found the back of the net 9 times and added 18 assists for 27 points in 55 games.
He returned last season to suit up for the USNTDP Under-18 Team, and tallied 14 goals while adding 33 assists for 47 points in 83 games. After graduation from the U.S. National Team program, Cerrato joined the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms these season and currently has 14 goals and 40 assists for 54 points in just 46 games thus far. Cerrato is a driving force of the Youngstown offense as they make the final push through the end of the regular season and look to earn a spot in the Clark Cup Playoffs.
Charlie will head to Penn State University this coming fall, and suit up for the Nittany Lions for the 2024-25 season. Additionally, he has been ranked by NHL Central Scouting as one of the top prospects for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft this June.
Congratulations to Charlie, his mother Rebecca, and the rest of the Cerrato family on this monumental accomplishment in his hockey career, and we will be rooting you on in Happy Valley! Go Nittany Lions!
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