The New Jersey 87's are coming off its final EHLP showcase, where the team defeated Walpole Express 3-1 on Friday and the Valley Jr. Warriors 5-4 on Saturday.

Defenseman Tim Lazouski was named an EHLP star of the week after picking up three assists in the showcase. He notched two assists in the 3-1 win over the Express and recorded one more in the 5-4 victory over the Valley Jr. Warriors. 

When talking about the star of the week honors, the Belarus native downplayed it and said he was just happy to help his team pick up the four points.

"It's pretty good, but in the whole scheme of things, I think it's not really that big of a deal. I just have to keep working hard. That's pretty much it," he said.

The two wins also extend the 87's winning streak to six games while improving its record to 23-6-2. Dating back to early November, the team has now won 14 of its last 17 games. Head coach Adam Houli said the two wins are pivotal as they pursue the top seed of the South Conference, as they trail the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers by only two points in the standings.

"We had a successful weekend as a program and our success carried over for our players, we were able to secure four more points, which late in the season is very valuable," Houli said. 

Jack Lane opened the scoring on Friday against the Express, giving him points in 13 straight games. After the Express tied it early in the second half, Christian McCue and Brad Heuer each scored in the final ten minutes to walk away with the victory. Jon Szynalski made 28 saves in the win.

Saturday's game against the Valley Jr. Warriors turned out be a more eventful matchup. Louie Kuka scored on the power play to give the 87's a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. The Warriors responded with a pair of goals in a span of 1:50, but McCue got his second goal of the showcase to even the score 17:43. The Warriors caught a break, however, and took a 3-2 with a goal late in the first half.

The Warriors made it a two-goal lead early in the second half, but the 87's would go on to make an impressive late-game comeback. In the final five minutes of the second half, John Dinnocenzo, Kuka and Heuer each scored to propel the 87's to a 5-4 win. Jon Szynalski made 24 saves to win his second straight start. 

Meanwhile, 41 miles away from Warminster, Penn., the EHL had its own showcase in West Chester. There, five different 87's players joined two different teams for a chance to play hockey at the next level. 

Defenseman and 87's captain Trevor Cear played in two games for the Connecticut Oilers while Austin Bell played for the team on Friday and Jack Lane played for them on Saturday. Kyle DePalma and Jake Ondrejko alternated games for the New York Bobcats Royals. 

Between the 87's showcase sweep and the call-ups, Houli said the weekend was a rousing success for the Tier III organization. 

"It allowed some role players the opportunity to play in some different scenarios and allowed our staff to gauge those type of situations. As we come together here for the final push, it was great weekend to celebrate our team and individual success," he said.

The team returns to action this Saturday with a 5:15 road game against the New Jersey Renegades. They return home on Sunday for a 6:00 p.m. game against the Philadelphia Little Flyers at the Middletown Sports Complex.