FLUSHING, N.Y. – The Binghamton men’s and Stony Brook women’s tennis teams took home the hardware this afternoon winning the 2012 America East Tennis titles. Binghamton began the day by defeating UMBC, 4-1 and winning its fifth straight America East crown and ninth in the last 11 years. In a thrilling finish, Stony Brook downed the UMBC women 4-2 to win the program’s first conference crown.

For the third consecutive year, the Binghamton men won the title by beating UMBC. After picking up a dominant win at No. 2 doubles, Binghamton would drop the match at No. 3. The Bearcats’ Ruben Devos and Bastian Bornkessel saved a match point down late in their No. 1 match against UMBC’s Christian Hodel and Patrick Amorim to force a tie-breaker. Devos and Bornkessel came up huge in the breaker winning 7-4 to give Binghamton the doubles point. In singles action, Binghamton’s Alex Haggai dominated at No. 1 putting the Bearcats up 2-0 with his 6-1, 6-0 victory. UMBC got on the board at No. 4 singles as Gaulthier Berret won 6-3, 6-0. Binghamton got that point right back at No. 6 with Florian Van Kann picking up a 6-2, 6-0 win. The Bearcats clinched the five-peat when Ismael Dinia put the finishing touches on a 6-0, 6-4 victory at No. 4.

Haggai was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, going unbeaten in two days of competition at No. 2 doubles and No. 1 singles.

No women’s tennis team had ever won a title seeded third or lower heading into the 2012 championship. Stony Brook became the first on Sunday. A day removed from knocking off the 18-time defending champion Boston University Terriers, the Seawolves completed an impressive run through the tournament field winning their third match in three days. After losing the doubles point, Stony Brook pulled even thanks to a win at No. 6 singles by Salome Mkervalidze, 6-3, 6-4. The Retrievers clawed back in front after a win by Heidi Danielsson at No. 5. Stony Brook’s Prerana Appineni grabbed a straight-set win at No. 4 to get her team within one match of the title. With the No. 3 singles match into a third set, Stony Brook clinched the title at No. 2. Freshman Polina Movchan, already with a first-set tie-break win under her belt, collected another by winning 7-5 in the second-set breaker to wrap up the title for the Seawolves.

Movchan was awarded the women’s Most Outstanding Player trophy after going 3-0 in singles action this weekend including the clinching wins against Boston U. and UMBC.

The Binghamton men and Stony Brook women both advance to the NCAA Tournament and now await their first round opponents.

April 27
Women's First Round
No. 3 Binghamton 4, No. 6 Hartford 0
No. 4 Stony Brook 4, No. 5 Albany 1

Men's First Round
No. 4 Boston U 4, No. 5 Hartford 2

April 28
Women's Consolation
No. 5 Albany 4, No. 6 Hartford 0       

Women's Semifinals
No. 1 Boston U. 3, No. 4 Stony Brook 4      
No. 2 UMBC 4, No. 3 Binghamton 0      

Men's Semifinals
No. 1 Binghamton 4, No. 4 Boston U. 0      
No. 2 Stony Brook 1, No. 3 UMBC 4
   
April 29
Women's Final
UMBC 2, Stony Brook 4      

Men's Final
Binghamton 4, UMBC 1