Mars' Ellie Coffield (left), seen here during her freshman season last year, recently gave a verbal commitment to attend and play soccer at the University of Pittsburgh.

ADAMS TWP — The University of Pittsburgh is the perfect fit for Mars soccer standout Ellie Coffield, so why wait to commit?

Though only a sophomore, Coffield last month gave a verbal commitment to attend the school and continue her career on the pitch once she graduates.

“One of the main reasons I chose Pitt is the head coach, Randy Waldrum,” Coffield said of the former head coach at Notre Dame. “He took over last spring and I love what he is trying to do in turning the program around. He's enthusiastic, has an excellent record and is very respected in the soccer community.

“I'm a super-competitive person and the (Atlantic Coast Conference) is one of the strongest conferences in the country when it comes to soccer.”

It was after Waldrum took over last December that the Panthers began to show interest in Coffield, a center midfielder. There are other factors that will make her college choice even more rewarding.

“My mom played volleyball at Pitt, my dad played football there and my grandfather went to school there,” she said. “So this will make three generations of my family going to Pitt. It's close to home and that is important. I have three younger siblings and I want to see them grow up.”

“To commit to a big university at such a young age, it speaks volumes,” said Mars coach Blair Gerlach.

Coffield was one of four freshmen who started for Mars last year. So much varsity inexperience led to many question marks surrounding the Planets, but her 15 goals and 18 assists helped the team reach the WPIAL championship and state quarterfinals and finish with a record of 17-3.

“Being a freshman, things were a bit intimidating,” Coffield said, “but we knew what we were capable of and had high expectations.”

Coffield did not arrive as an unknown to Gerlach.

“I had seen her play in tournaments, so I knew a decent amount about her,” he said. “Her work-rate, commitment and field vision are all great. She's a very balanced player between offense and defense and is a very unselfish player. It makes her a nice player to play next to.”

That final trait has made Coffield a great teammate as opposed to being just a great player.

“One of the roles of a center midfielder is to get others involved,” she said. “I love distributing the ball as well as finishing.”

Entering this week's play, Coffield had 12 goals and 12 assists for the undefeated Planets (9-0).

“Last year was great, but I'm hoping to contribute even more this season,” she said. “We have some younger players on varsity and I'd like to get them involved, too.”

With physical talent supported by the right attitude, Gerlach sees a high ceiling for Coffield.

“She wants to take her strengths and polish them even more,” he said. “When you have a player as committed as she is, it makes her even more difficult to play against.”