Joseph Cerrato thought he might not be able to play for Long Island University’s soccer team this year after suffering a devastating knee injury in 2024,
But after a year of surgery, physical therapy, and support, he is now back on the field.
Cerrato made his 2024 debut for the Sharks against Georgetown on Sept. 14, subbing into the game in the second half. He played just six minutes before the unthinkable happened.
Cerrato went down to the ground with a non-contact injury. He said he heard three cracks in his knee and knew that it wasn’t good.
“It’s probably one of the worst feelings ever,” he said.
The defender said he got up and did some quick exercises, feeling like he was okay to play, but that he knew that was just an adrenaline rush.
Cerrato went for an MRI to confirm his worries; he had a fully torn ACL in his knee.
“I didn’t think it was going to be something as serious as an ACL injury,” he said. “My heart broke. I broke down a bit. It was a struggle.”
Dr. Mark Grossman of NYU Langone Hospital arthroscopically reconstructed the torn ligament in his knee.
“This is a story that is truly close to home and has come full circle,” Grossman said. “I was able to reconstruct an ACL tear on a former Mineola High School soccer star, who is now a star at the university around the corner.”
Recovery from an ACL injury can take nearly a full year, leaving Cerrato with a long road to recovery.
Cerrato, who grew up in Mineola, said he has played soccer for as long as he can remember and that being a soccer professional player was always a dream of his.
Cerrato debuted for LIU in 2022, appearing in 17 games and contributing one goal and one assist. In his sophomore year, he appeared in 18 games, starting in 10 of those contests.
Cerrato said he was the most confident in his ability during his sophomore season.
“I felt like I was at my best my sophomore year, when it came to defending and just helping the team out to get results,” he said.
Cerrato was only afforded six minutes of his junior season before the injury.
He said he doesn’t like to put responsibilities onto other people’s plates, and that the first month or two of recovery, when he had to relearn how to do everyday life, were the most difficult.
“I think the nine and a half to 10 months that I was out all of the last year was the longest I’ve ever been away from the sport, so it definitely took a toll on me mentally,” he said.
Cerrato said he would do physical therapy twice a day, six times a week, along his recovery journey. He said he would wake up, go train, go to class and then train more. The soccer player said it was difficult at times to balance the normalcy of life with his recovery efforts.
Through it all, Cerrato said, his teammates and family were supporting him.
“My teammates kept me intact,” he said. “I didn’t want to exclude myself from the team, because I know if I did, I think I’d hurt myself a bit more.”
Cerrato also said his mother would be awake with him at night when he couldn’t sleep due to the pain in his knee.
On Aug. 24, Cerrato made his return to the field, subbing into LIU’s game against UMass Lowell.
“I’m so proud of myself on the work I put in,” he said about being able to compete again.
The defender has since appeared in seven games, earning three starts. LIU has gone 3-1-3 in those games.
And Cerrato said, despite the knee injury, one of his goals of being a professional soccer player remains unchanged.
“I’m never gonna take an injury or a setback in life as a negativity, I can always turn that into a positive,” he said.
