Though their home opener is only a week away, the Bearcats will be experienced travelers by the time they debut in the Bearcats Sports Complex.

That’s because the Binghamton University’s men’s soccer team (2-1-1) is traveling to the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Tournament this weekend to face Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1-2-1) tonight and Wisconsin-Madison (3-0-1) Sunday afternoon.

On Thursday the Bearcats traveled to Syracuse International Airport and flew to Detroit en route to Milwaukee. They will try to ward off exhaustion and try to avoid looking ahead to the home opener.

Head coach Paul Marco said he met with his team captains earlier this week and sensed a renewed enthusiasm on his squad.

“I know the guys are looking forward to our trip to Wisconsin,” Marco said.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee has a middling record but has played tough teams. Last Sunday, the Panthers lost 2-1 to No. 20 Santa Clara and earlier this season defeated No. 21 Bradley in an exhibition game.

“[Wisconsin-Milwaukee] likes to play long and win the second ball,” said BU keeper Jason Stenta.

Wisconsin-Madison, a school in the Big Ten Conference, is receiving votes in the latest national polls. The unbeaten Badgers defeated Santa Clara last weekend and average two goals per game. Wisconsin-Madison likes to share the ball; seven of its eight goals have been assisted.

“We’re excited to play them,” Stenta said. “We never know the next time we’ll get to play Wisconsin.”

Marco wants to see his team strike early and to set a tone in the match.

“Overall, I would like to see us demand a little bit more from each other,” Marco said. “The more competitive we can be, the less we will have to rely on talent. Talent alone doesn’t win you championships.”

While the Bearcats will be without the support of their usual traveling fans and families for the first time this season, they see motivation in the home opener next weekend.

“If we can get two wins, we’ll be full of excitement for two games we’ve been waiting for all year,” Stenta said. “And maybe two wins would have our fans more excited.”