Penn State flips top recruit from Michigan

Everyone focuses on major recruiting battles in football, but Penn State hockey just pulled off a major recruiting victory of its own. This weekend, the Nittany Lions flipped top recruit Charlie Cerrato from Michigan. The commitment is a major win for Guy Gadowsky over Big Ten foe Michigan, who ousted Penn State from the NCAA Tournament last year.

Penn State hockey flips top recruit from Michigan

Charlie Cerrato, a 4.5 star recruit, flipped his commitment from Michigan to Penn State hockey on Friday. The Maryland native will join the Nittany Lions next year after playing with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL this season. The Phantoms season just kicked off, and the talented left-handed forward already has six points in four games.

Cerrato is a product of the US National Team Development program, which has churned out 380 NHL Draft picks in its history including Jack Hughes, Patrick Kane and Auston Matthews.

The No. 16 overall skater in the 2005 birth year class will contribute to what will likely be the most talented Penn State hockey roster ever, at least on paper. The top-6 forward group will include Cerrato, along with highly touted recruit Aiden Fink. Solid depth pieces could be just enough to get the Nittany Lions into the Frozen Four next year.

Success from the trail to the ice

It’s been a solid weekend for Guy Gadowsky and company, as the Nittany Lions experienced success on the ice as well. Penn State hockey got its 2023-24 season off on the right foot on Saturday evening. The Nittany Lions rallied back from a 2-1 second period deficit to beat Long Island University 3-2.

Penn State hockey is back in action next weekend when it faces Clarkson on Friday and St. Lawrence on Saturday. The Nittany Lions’ home opener is October 20 versus American International.

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