Pitt soccer player Ellie Coffield, former Mars star, donates grant to Moe Rosensteel Foundation

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 | 10:46 PM

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When student-athletes are named the Gatorade athlete of the year in their state for their respective sport, they are awarded $1,000 to donate to their entity of choice.

A two-time winner as Pennsylvania’s top girls soccer player, Mars’ Ellie Coffield stayed within the local soccer community and gave her most recent Spotlight Grant to the Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel Scholarship Foundation.

Coffield was the inaugural Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel Most Outstanding Player of the Year Award in 2019.

Rosensteel, a former soccer standout at Ringgold, died in 2019.

Coffield, a freshman midfielder at Pitt, led her high school team to back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships. She was named to the all-state team, was selected as a United Soccer Coaches Region II All-American and made the USC All-Region East team, all for the second year in a row.

“I chose the ‘Moe’ Rosensteel Scholarship Foundation because of how much the foundation has positively impacted me and the hundreds of other female soccer players in the area,” Coffield said. “Moe was always a positive person and her motto was, ‘Work hard in silence and let your success make the noise.’ Similar to Moe, I think that it is so important to not just be the best soccer player you can be, but also the best person you can be.

“Being the most positive influence you can be is what embodied Moe and is the reason why the purpose of the foundation started by her parents and friends to carry on that legacy is so meaningful to me. I only hope that with the grant they are able to move closer to reaching their goals of honoring Moe’s legacy.”

Foundation president Ed Rosensteel was warmed with gratitude when he heard of Coffield’s intentions. With that being said, he wasn’t altogether surprised by the kind gesture.

“Ellie has been a special part of our lives. … She shares inspiring messages with our family to let us know she is thinking of us and she is helping live the dream of our daughter, Moe,” Rosensteel said. “Ellie embodies the love of the game and life just as Moe did. When others are tired, stressed, overwhelmed and panicking on the field, Ellie can be easily seen with a smile on her face. She loves the game and loves the moments.

“She has meant that much to our award, our foundation and more importantly our family.”

The reining TribLive HSSN Player of the Year scored 26 goals and handed out 36 assists last season for Mars (19-0), which hasn’t lost in more than two seasons, an unbeaten streak that spans 42 games.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Mars