Nobody likes to be labeled a joke. Nobody likes to be disrespected. Nobody likes to lose, especially when they know they could have played better.

And nobody is going to laugh at or disrespect the Binghamton University ice hockey club team anymore either — certainly not after the season they had, which culminated in a 4-0 victory over Rutgers for the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League (NECHL) championship this past month.

“We were a joke to other teams,” said senior forward Shane Caming. “We were known as a team that drank the night before games and wasn’t really focused.”

This season, according to Caming, was a process of maturation for the team. The process started in September, when the team met for 6 a.m. practice sessions every Monday at the Chenango Ice Rink, where they play their home games during the season. It continued during the season when the team met for mandatory off-ice hours, which means training away from the rink. During these sessions, the team participated in running three to four miles through the Nature Preserve or running on the campus track. According to Caming, this type of total team work ethic was a deviation from the past.

“At times, some players weren’t completely dedicated to the team,” said Caming. “A turning point this season was running on the track in freezing rain before the first semester was over. We had to be dedicated to do that. Nobody told us to do this.”

“I’m a senior. I saw a progression this year. I wanted the team to get better. We had a team-first mentality, and I felt included in that.”

Ice hockey club team president Reuben Dacher-Shapiro, a junior forward, added to that. “This year, we feel like we’ve created a new mentality for the whole club. We set a new precedent in terms of how we handle ourselves. There are no egos. We’re a group.”

Both Caming and Dacher-Shapiro credited the whole team for its focus and discipline. Head coach Lon Jones was named NECHL Coach of the Year, but Caming said that the team really coached itself, dividing up responsibilities amongst the players.

“We were coached from within,” he said. “Reuben Dacher-Shapiro ran practices. Howie Rotchford has a really good mind for hockey. He hurt his Achilles early, but he coached when he was injured.”

Dacher-Shapiro said he thought the team was a “group of leaders who consulted each other.” He said at the start of the season, he was voted player-coach, which meant drawing up most of the drills for practices, which were held twice a week. However, he said all the captains worked together to create a unique “captain’s practice.” He called Rotchford an integral part of the club for his work as bench coach during games, adding that Rotchford brought the energy and passion he had as a player to the bench every game.

With a strong internal infrastructure, the Bearcats ended the regular season 19-5, good for second place in the NECHL. A key victory against Rutgers, the team that eventually would gain the best record in the league at season’s end, built Binghamton’s confidence. Rutgers is the league’s perennial title contender.

“When we beat Rutgers in the second of a back-to-back after being shut out by them, that was big,” said Caming. “We were away. We fought adversity and defeated them. We believed we could win the championship.”

The team was bolstered by a talented freshman class that included forwards Jim Goodwine and Kyle Johnson. Brian Moore and David Kanter split time at goalie. Forward Joe Livsey led the team in assists (24) and total points (42), while forward Peter Hilliger led the team in goals (20), including three game-winners. Caming described the team as being an offensive-minded team that usually used a 2-1-2 formation to put pressure on opposing defenses.

By virtue of having the second-best record in the league, the Binghamton club team earned the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and a first-round bye in the tournament. To get to the title game, they had to defeat Cornell, a team they had lost to twice during the regular season. Their chances to advance were threatened when they went down 3-0 in the second period. Dacher-Shapiro thought the team was playing tentatively, but didn’t sense they were scared of the moment. Caming revealed how confident a teammate was despite the score.

“Jim said, ‘I’m not going home tonight,’” he said, repeating Goodwine’s statement of confidence. The team came back to tie the game at the end of regulation. Livsey then completed a hat trick with the game-winning goal. In the title game, BU changed strategies and went to a 1-2-2 formation, something the NHL’s New Jersey Devils like to play. Binghamton went on to defeat Rutgers on Feb. 21, 4-0, for the league title.

“It’s my senior year,” said Caming. “And that win against Cornell made it feel like we were supposed to win. We knew we could beat Rutgers.”

Senior David Kanter was named the playoff Most Valuable Player after recording the shutout against Rutgers. “He was focused and ready to play throughout,” said Caming.

The team is proud of its accomplishment on the rink, but wants people to know they are successful off the rink, as well.

“We’re regular students,” said Caming. “We don’t get special privileges. It is hard to juggle classes and sports, but you can do it.” Caming also added that some players made the Dean’s List last semester.

Dacher-Shapiro said that winning a title the way they did and the story of their season is a good story for Binghamton, especially in light of what has been going on regarding last year’s men’s basketball team.

The team doesn’t have any more games left, but they still practice once a week together. Referring to himself and his fellow seniors on the team, Caming said that after winning the title, they can now look at the team from an outside perspective. For those looking at the team from the outside this past season, one thing was made abundantly clear — this team is no joke.