Buffalo didn’t want to hand over the trophy, so Binghamton University club field hockey juniors Melissa Cuan and Nicole Keane walked right over to the table and took it.

Binghamton had just repeated as New York State Field Hockey League champions, with a 3-0 win over Buffalo in a rematch of last year’s championship match. But tensions escalated at the end of the match and an awards presentation ceremony never took place.

Binghamton (7-0), the top seed in the seven-team tournament, held a 2-0 lead over third-seeded Buffalo (6-2) with about four minutes remaining in regulation when things got chippy. BU midfielder Dominic Young, the lone boy on the team, had an exchange with a Buffalo midfielder. The two had played a very physical second half, and Young had had enough and lashed out. He earned himself a green card ‘ essentially a warning ‘ but that wasn’t the end of it.

Binghamton increased its lead to 3-0 with about two minutes before the game ended, likely irking Buffalo even more. After the game, Young and the girl’s father were in each others’ faces. Young apologized to the Buffalo girl and other Binghamton players tried to separate Young and the girls’ father.

It’s something the Bearcats have noticed around the league: when you get this good this quickly, your opponents aren’t going to be too happy.

‘I think it’s really established us as a team,’ said Keane of another championship run. ‘Going into this tournament, other people on other teams thought we were going to win, and they said that out loud. We went from not even making the playoffs to winning a championship the following year and then defending it this year.’

Binghamton has lost just one game over the last two seasons, winning the league title last year, 2-1 over Buffalo. The Bearcats also defeated Buffalo 4-1 during this year’s regular season.

‘I’m just really proud that we were able to pull together, returning players and incoming players, to be a cohesive unit,’ Cuan said.

In Saturday’s finals match, Binghamton jumped out to 1-0 lead on an Anna Greene’s goal from the right side eight minutes in.

BU extended its lead at the start of the second half on freshman forward Mary Buschor’s first goal of the game, off a corner. After a scramble in front of the goal coming off a corner, freshman forward Jane Donatich took a shot off that deflected to Buschor.

Shortly after Young’s altercation, with about two minutes remaining, Buschor scored again, from the left side on an assist from Keane to make it 3-0.

Earlier in the day Binghamton defeated Cornell, 3-1, in the semifinal to advance to the finals. Buschor, Young and freshman forward Katie Everett scored for the Bearcats.