Binghamton may not have a football team, but there’s no doubt as to what athletic event will provide the most excitement on homecoming weekend.

Tomorrow the Binghamton men’s soccer team (6-6-3, 4-1-0 AE) will host Stony Brook (5-10-0, 2-3-0 AE) in a rematch of the 2005 America East championship game. Last year Binghamton’s season ended in penalty kicks after battling the Seawolves to a 1-1 tie in the conference finals. This time around, the Bearcats have the home field advantage — and a chip on their shoulders.

The match promises to be a passionate and exciting one. The only question is, what will be the bigger motivator for the Bearcats — the spirit of homecoming or last year’s loss?

“I think you will see a bit of a more emotional game; it’s homecoming on a Saturday, which should be a nice day, and I think a lot of the alumni coming back would like to see us beat Stony Brook,” said junior midfielder Matt Narode.

“Obviously homecoming, it’s a big deal, but with the loss last year and especially the way it happened, in penalty kicks … the team we’re playing will give us enough motivation,” added senior forward Peter Sgueglia.

But head coach Paul Marco wants his team to play as if it’s just another game.

“We view all of our opponents pretty much as a rivalry,” Marco said. “Whoever is next on our schedule is the next opponent that we’d like to take care of. Are the guys looking back at last year’s final? I would say no. I would say that our guys are focused on today’s training, and this Saturday is our next opponent, so they’ll be ready for Saturday’s match.”

Binghamton has seen stellar play lately from Sgueglia, who scored three goals in the last two games.

“I’d been in a drought up until the past couple of games and the team and the coaches had been helping me get through it, keeping my confidence up,” Sgueglia said. “Now that I got that one goal against Hartford and those two goals at UMBC, I feel like I have my confidence back and the opportunities are starting to come more and more.”

Stony Brook, on the other hand, has had a tough season. The defending AE champs advanced to the second round of the playoffs last year, but this year have averaged just .8 goals per game, one of just two teams in the conference averaging less than Binghamton’s 1.0. Despite the stats, Marco believes the Seawolves are better than their record indicates.

“They like to roll the ball on the ground and pass the ball, move the ball side to side,” Marco said. “They’ve got some pretty good players who are good at striking the ball from a distance, with very good accuracy. One of the things that the game will produce will be entertaining soccer. They play on turf at home, so that really helps them move the ball; they have players that can do those types of things.”

Forward Adam Ciklic leads Stony Brook with five goals this season, and freshman Oscar Leis, a player Marco recruited, has scored three.

The weather is supposed to be sunny and cool, so expect a huge turnout for the homecoming matchup.

“There should be a lot of people in the stands, with the alumni coming. Make sure you get there early to get a seat,” Marco said.

Game time is 1 p.m. tomorrow at West Gym Field.