Bermuda Under-20 footballer Tre Ming has been named Empire 8 Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.A freshman at New York’s Elmira College, Ming led the Soaring Eagles with six assists during the past season, notching three goals along the way.Ming, who plays locally for PHC Zebras, admitted he was stunned after learning he had been chosen for the award.“It was a bit of a surprise and a very great feeling,” he told The Royal Gazette. “It was nice to be nominated on the shortlist and it felt like getting your first bike at Christmas when I was told I had received it.“Just to see what a little bit of hard work can do for you makes you want to go even harder next time around to see what that brings.”Ming, 18, is the second straight Elmira player to receive Rookie of the Year accolades.The promising midfielder, who was awarded $4,000 to further his education from the PHC Foundation earlier this year, and his Soaring Eagles team-mates finished runners-up in the East Coast Athletic Conference and reached the semi-finals in the Empire 8 Conference play-offs during the season.The team’s overall 13-7 record tied the school’s record for the most wins in a season, a feat Ming takes great pride in.“It feels good to be a part of that history making team,” he said. “It’s actually an honour to be a part of the longest winning streak in Elmira College history.”It is the third consecutive season the Soaring Eagles have managed at least 12 wins under head coach Jeremiah Kneeland.Prior to enrolling at Emira College, Ming made a name for himself at South Kent School where he was twice named in the Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association All-State team and once in the All New England team.The teenager, who represented Bermuda at the Under-20 World Cup qualifiers in Puerto Rico earlier this year, described college football as “physical”.“It is very physical and if you lack in one area it will get exploited very quickly,” he stressed. “The first weekend I got bumped all around but by the next game I was in the gist of things.“It definitely took me a few bumps to get acclimatised but thankfully those bumps were very swift.”Ming is due to return home today for the Thanksgiving holiday break and hopes to be included in Zebras’ squad for Sunday’s Premier Division encounter with newly crowned Dudley Eve champions Somerset Trojans at Southampton Oval.