BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – The Binghamton Black Bears will return to home ice for the first time in 3 weeks when they host the Elmira Mammoth on Saturday, the second game in a 3-game weekend.

Binghamton is coming off of a rough 5 game road trip down South that saw the team go 1-3-1 in that stretch.

But now the focus turns towards the future beginning with a road game against Elmira on Friday night before returning home.

Binghamton sits in second place in the FPHL Empire division, looking to get back on track before playoff time begins and it all starts this weekend where the team will look to get back into the win column.

“It’s good to be home obviously, be in your own bed,” Black Bears Goaltender Talor Joseph said. “I think the big thing is just, we gotta get to work now. There’s no more excuses here, we just gotta get to work and get ready for playoffs.”

Those playoffs are fast approaching, the Black Bears have just 11 games remaining on their regular season schedule.

In those 11 games, the team will look to flip the script on what has been going on in the last couple of weeks.

The Black Bears are just 2-6-2 in their last 10 games which has dropped the team to 17 points back of first place Danbury.

But there are still goals to be accomplished in the final stretch of the regular season if the team wants to accomplish the goal that they set for themselves at the start of the season, winning an FPHL championship.

Interim Head Coach Brant Sherwood explained what he would like to see from the team as the get ready for the playoff run.

“Consistency, showing up every single game,” Sherwood said. “Playing the right way, puck management, puck composure, taking care of the D-zone and then capitalizing on our opportunities. I just, I don’t want to see us take a game off, I don’t want to see us take a practice off, we need to hit the ground running for the rest of the year.”

Hitting the ground running is exactly what the Black Bears will look to do on Friday when they visit Elmira, and then again Saturday and Sunday at home.

That first home game is exciting for the team, who are looking forward to hearing the roar of the home crowd when they play this weekend.

“Yeah, it’s awesome man,” Black Bears Forward/Defenseman Jake Schultz said. “That’s why we all love playing here for Binghamton. We got the best fans in the league, and the best building. It’s the hardest building to play in, in the league. So, we’re all excited.”

Those Binghamton fans that the Black Bears love to play in front of will get to watch the team face off with Elmira on Saturday and Watertown on Sunday.

2 teams the Black Bears are ahead of in the standings and hold a combined 11-2 against this year.

Action on Saturday begins at 7 p.m., on Sunday the game starts at 2 p.m., but first, a trip to Elmira on Friday night.