The Binghamton University men’s lacrosse team can lock up the No. 3 seed in the America East tournament with a road win against Stony Brook Saturday.

The Bearcats (3-7, 2-1 AE) are currently in third place and the Seawolves (6-3, 2-1 AE) in fourth as both teams play in their second to last game of the season. Both could potentially miss the playoffs.

‘With two games left this is our most important game by far,’ said senior captain Matt McNamara. ‘We want to go in, win, seal a spot in the playoffs and keep our chances of hosting the tournament alive.’

With a loss Saturday, Binghamton could face the difficult task of having to beat the nation’s No. 2 team, conference-leading Albany in the regular season finale to make the playoffs. The Bearcats are coming off a double over-time 11-10 loss against No. 15 UMBC that featured more than one buzzer-beating goal.

The Seawolves lost their last game, and their No. 19 ranking with it, to fifth place Hartford by a score of 6-4. Binghamton handily defeated the Hawks in March.

Stony Brook and Binghamton are similar statistically, averaging 8.89 and 8.10 goals per game and allowing 8.85 gpg to 9.49 gpg. respectively.

Bo Tripodi is the Seawolves’ top scorer, with 15 goals on the season and 1.67 gpg, the sixth highest average in the conference. Bearcat sophomore attack Jake Boyce, on a seven-game scoring streak, has 17 goals, averaging 1.70 gpg, fifth best in the AE.

BU freshman attack Steve Carlson, who scored a career-high five goals against UMBC ‘ earning him America East Rookie of the week honors ‘ has 14 goals, a 1.40 average and the hot hand.

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Larry Kline, who has started every game to date but was replaced late in the UMBC game by junior Jeff Walker, said he expected Walker to start tomorrow.

‘I didn’t have a good UMBC game at all and that was a very important game to the program and the team,’ Kline said. ‘If I’m not getting it done you got to put someone in there who can and Jeff’s fully capable.’

Senior goalkeeper Brendan Callahan starts for the Seawolves. His performance last year helped Stony Brook, then No. 19, rally from a four-goal deficit to defeat the Bearcats 9-8 at East Gym Field.

The faceoff circle pits the conference’s best against each other, as BU sophomore J.P. Wioncek takes his .538 average against Stony Brook senior Jim Astea’s .546 average. Wioncek dominated Astea in last season’s matchup, winning 16 of 25.

Game time is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at SBU’s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.