For all its ‘firsts’ of last year, including a top-20 national ranking, there’s one thing the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team does not want to duplicate. The Bearcats began their 2006 season with a 13-goal thrashing at the hands of then No. 6 Cornell in Ithaca. This year, Binghamton heads north tomorrow to face a Big Red squad that is just as powerful.

Cornell, ranked No. 7 nationally in preseason polls, is predicted to finish first in the Ivy League. Cornell is rife with talent, returning a 2006 All-American at every position, including goalie/attack David Mitchell, midfielder Max Seibald, defender Mitch Belisle and goalie Matt McMonagle.

When the two teams met last year, the Big Red dominated the Bearcats in nearly every facet of the game. Using a nine-goal second period, Cornell dismantled Binghamton by a score of 16-3. Cornell took 42 shots to Binghamton’s 11.

Cornell finished last season ranked No. 3 in the country, but fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament at home against UMass, 10-9. A late goal by the Minutemen, who wound up losing the championship game to Virginia, sealed the Big Red’s fate.

If Binghamton hopes to topple the Red this year, it will have to contain Mitchell, who scored a whopping eight goals in the 2006 meeting. That’s a tall task for a young defense with one senior. The Bearcats do have one advantage over Cornell: sophomore J.P. Wioncek, who won 11 of 18 face-offs last go-around in what was only his first collegiate game.

Cornell has defeated the Bearcats in all three previous meetings. Face off is set for noon on Saturday in Ithaca.