While Lacrosse is only “in season” during the spring semester, senior Matt Auletti is always preparing to play his favorite sport. Auletti was a starter his sophomore year in his position as an attackman, but his junior season was sadly cut short last spring.
During an early-season scrimmage, Auletti says he felt a pop in his knee during a practice, and it got to the point where he couldn’t even put on his socks: he was in so much pain. A few weeks later, an MRI showed a torn labrum in his right hip, and it would need surgery; he was out for the season. Auletti received said surgery in April and the recovery process has not ended since then.
“I have physical therapy three times a week, and I’m six months post-op,” said Auletti, with a sigh.
This injury and recovery, while keeping him off the field, didn’t keep him away from the game.
“Every practice, every game, I was there to cheer my team on,” Auletti said.
Instead of taking the time to watch game footage, Auletti was spending his time focused on academics and the internship search.
A communication major, Auletti aspires to work in the field of advertising. This summer, he spent his days interning at Harmelin Media, an ad agency in Bala Cynwyd. Unsurprisingly, he also spent his summer coaching youth lacrosse in his hometown in northern New Jersey. Auletti made the two-hour drive home twice a week to help sixth graders learn the sport he loves.
“While I taught them the basics, I tried to teach them some more advanced stuff to get them prepared for high school and college,” Auletti said.
This year, Auletti is ready to come back stronger than ever. It is clear to see that he is ecstatic to begin his final season at Eastern. With the support of friends, family, teammates and coaches, the comeback of number 33 is an anticipated one.