After two consecutive road games, the Binghamton University women’s soccer team is set to host University at Albany on Sunday, its first home match in two weeks.

After opening conference play with a win, the Bearcats (3-9, 1-2 America East) suffered two straight losses during their most recent road trip, dropping 1-0 decisions to both Hartford and Vermont.

Yet, despite the recent slide, third-year head coach Sarah McClellan remains confident. Although the Bearcats came up short on the road, McClellan has been persistent about looking forward, stressing the importance of upcoming conference matches.

‘It’s very important for us to get positive results in our remaining conference games,’ she said. ‘Every game has playoff implications, we know we need to give everything we have and play our best in these upcoming conference games.’

With confidence levels high, Binghamton has not let recent losses affect team performance. Although the scoreboard has portrayed unfavorable results, McClellan still believes in her team.

‘We ended up on the losing side of two very tight games on the road, which is why our home games are so important,’ she said. ‘Our team felt we played better than our opponent in both our conference road losses.’

The Bearcats entered this season with high playoff hopes, looking to improve on a second-place finish from a year ago. In only her second season of coaching, McClellan led Binghamton to a record-breaking season, with the team posting its highest finish since transitioning to Division I in 2001.

Albany enters Sunday’s match with an overall record of 5-6-1, and just 0-1-1 in conference. The Great Danes have been outscored 20-12 this season, surrendering 15 second-half goals through 12 games. Albany has one road win on the season, defeating Bryant University on Sept. 22. Both Albany and Binghamton will be looking to gain ground on the first-place Boston University Terriers, who are unbeaten in three conference matches and are pursuing their fourth-consecutive conference title.

This weekend marks the annual homecoming for Binghamton University, and a wide range of festivities and events are expected to bring in plenty of alumni. With a large crowd anticipated for the match, the Bearcats are excited to defend their home turf in front of former athletes and students.

‘Playing at home and having our home fan support is a huge deal,’ McClellan said. ‘We feel most comfortable on our home turf, and prefer to play [conference] games right here at the Bearcats Sports Complex.’

In 2009, the Bearcats drew nearly 300 fans to their homecoming match against Stony Brook. In their last home match this season, BU silenced conference rival Maine en route to a 1-0 victory.

Individually, sophomore Sarah Furminger has become the Bearcats’ go-to forward. With 27 shots on the season, she leads the team with three goals ‘ two of which were game winners. Furminger, a Vestal native, sat out last season after transferring from nearby Broome Community College. During her time there, she helped lead BCC to a NJCAA Division III national title.

Binghamton has also received offensive production from freshman striker Kaitlyn Cook. Cook, a five-year starter at nearby Maine-Endwell High School, ranks second on the team with two goals and one game winner. Cook and Furminger have a combined 54 shots.

Upperclassmen have continued to contribute, offering experience from last year’s success. Juniors AnnMarie Rizzi and Mary DeWitte have become a reliable tandem for the Bearcats, combining for one goal and three assists. DeWitte ranks third on the team with 20 shots during the 2010 campaign.

Through 12 games this season, the Bearcats have struggled offensively, getting outscored 17-8 by opponents. Despite averaging 12.5 shots a game, BU carries a .053 shot percentage, posting only .67 goals per match.

Solid defensive performances have kept matches close, and goalkeeper Carrie Martin has developed as the season has progressed. Martin, a freshman from Cincinnati, has made 50 saves on the season and posted two shutouts. Opponents have averaged 1.42 goals against Martin.

Looking to improve offensively, McClellan has worked to create more opportunities for the Bearcats, but continues to sharpen her team’s defense as well.

‘Defensively, we have limited teams to few chances and goals; we will still sharpen up a few errors [seen] in past games to make things even tighter in the back,’ she said. ‘Offensively, we are focusing on varying our attacking looks within our possession to get multiple types of opportunities and chances in front of the net.’

Binghamton currently stands sixth in the America East with a conference record of 1-2. With a win, the Bearcats would improve their record at home this season to 3-3.

Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Bearcats Sports Complex.