IN front of a packed house, the Bermuda Football Association hosted their 7th Annual Prize Presentation on Tuesday evening at the Cricket Pavillion at the National Sports Centre. Accolades and praise abound, BFA President Larry Mussenden told the crowd full of players from the Premier, Commercial and Women's leagues and their families that the night was "all about you, all about the hard work you've done throughout the year".

Players from the Women's League, incepted 17 years ago during the 1991-1992 season, were honoured alongside the men with awards given to the female MVP, Leading Goal Scorer, Best Defender, Young Player of the Year, Fair Play Team Award, Female Coach of the Year and honoring "Women in Football".

The North Village Lady Rams were honoured as the Freisenbruch Meyer Champions for the 2007-2008 season, having won the Women's League with an 8-4-0 season. The team also took the Fair Play Team award for being the team to have received the least amount of red or yellow cards for the season (zero), beating last year's record of only two red or yellow cards received. The North Village women's coach Jeremy Salaam, was also elected Coach of the Year for the Women's division.

For the first time, the Women's League was sponsored this season by the Freisenbruch-Meyer Group. William Madeiros, vice president and general manager of Freisenbruch-Meyer said that his company was pleased to be a part of the Women's League. "We felt this season was phenomenal. We thought the BFA and the league is really well run and well managed ¿ we enjoyed working with them," he said.

While the company wasn't initially 100 percent sold on the idea of sponsoring the Women's League, Madeiros said they are all on board now and even made the league one of their largest sponsorship activities. "The women involved in the league are outgoing, forthcoming, respective, appreciative and very talented. We were so impressed with the 2007-2008 season and look forward to another exciting season next year," he added.

The BFA honoured Alicia Zuill and Naquita Dill with the 'Women in Football' award. Zuill, a pioneer and trailblazer in the women's game in Bermuda started playing football at the tender age of three years old.

Zuill was the driving force behind the formation of the Women's Football League in the 1980s and helped to grow and develop the sport into what it is today. She is a former committee member for the Women's League and is a BFA Legend for the Legend's Scholarship programme. She is a now an educator at CedarBridge Academy and is actively involved in youth athletics. In an inspiring and emotional acceptance speech, Zuill dedicated her award to her father.

Naquita Dill was also honoured having played in the Women's League since it's inception. She began playing at four years old and played for Messiah College in Grantham, PA where she was tremendously successful on the football pitch. She was voted All-American and elected to the Mid-Atlantic All Conference Team her sophomore, junior and senior years. She was the leading scorer at Messiah and was the third top goal scorer in the entire United States during her college years. She is now a physical education teacher at T. N. Tatum Middle School and still plays in the Women's League.

Lyndsey Ford of Dandy Stars received the Leading Goal Scorer award having scored 18 goals this season. Camille Simons of PHC Lady Zebras received the Best Goalkeeper award, Akilah Bremar of Devonshire Lady Cougars received the Female Young Player award, Chloe Martin of North Village Lady Rams received the Most Valuable Player award and Lindsay Kelly from North Village won the Best Defender award.