Ultimately, Roger Scully and Will Haywood made a mistake in their taunts, beyond displaying a deplorable level of immaturity: they offered an acknowledgment.

They acknowledged exactly what Binghamton coach Paul Marco said: how much beating Binghamton means to Vermont. They acknowledged how much they care about what Binghamton’s fans call them and how revered the Bearcats’ dynasty is.

And that acknowledgment only served to inspire the Hooligans more.

‘We love you, Bearcats, we do!’ the Hooligans sang as the awards ceremony kicked off. ‘We love you Bearcats, we do ‘ Oh, Bearcats, WE LOVE YOU!’

With both teams watching at midfield, Binghamton senior forward Matt Narode fought back tears. After the game, he was one of several men’s soccer players to post on the Hooligans’ Facebook wall, with each player echoing the same thing.

‘Thanks again guys (and girls),’ Narode wrote. ‘I’ve never played in a better atmosphere than the other night and all season long you’ve been amazing ‘ I’ll always remember the support you gave us.’