The New Jersey 87's Premier team swept the Junior Flyers in a home-and-home this weekend, with a 1-0 win on Saturday and a 3-2 victory on Sunday. 

Coming off a performance that featured a 42-save shutout from goaltender Jeremy Connor, the 87's won in comeback fashion on Sunday by scoring three unanswered goals in the third period. It reinforced the tense rivalry that exists between the two teams and gave the 87's a confidence boost as they start the season with a 2-0-0 record.

"There's certainly a lot of things to work on, but if you told us in training camp that we could walk away in the first weekend with four points, we would've been ecstatic to do it," head coach Adam Houli said. "I'm very excited about the first opening weekend, obviously a lot of work to do, but it's great for the boys to get two wins."

In Saturday's win, Matt Wong's goal at 4:37 of the first period would prove to be the game-winner. Defenseman Ryan Crane took a wrist shot from the point, and Wong deflected the shot from the hash marks to guide the puck under the pads of Jr. Flyers goaltender Reilly Moyer. 

Connor was lights out throughout the game, and his best save came in the first period when a puck slid to the top of the crease. Ethan Fuller was at the doorstep and tried to jam a shot into the top corner, but Connor somehow snatched it with his glove and kept the Flyers off the board.

Sunday's game proved to be more of a challenge for the 87's, who fell behind 2-0 in the second period. Rajah Mueller buried a loose puck on a goal-mouth scramble for a power-play goal at 9:40 of the second period. At 16:15 of the middle frame, Logan Buch ripped a shot from the circles that beat 87's goaltender Cameron Carmen.

Undeterred by the deficit, New Jersey found a way to claw itself back into the game. Opening the third period on the power play, the 87's cut the deficit in half on a rebound goal from Simon Fitzgerald at 41 seconds. Ryan Crane dished the puck to Tom Swartwout, whose shot left a juicy rebound for Fitzgerald to bury. 

"We knew coming out in the third we had a big power play, and needed to come out and score a quick one," Swartout said. "I got the puck, walked down and shot it, and Fitzgerald was in front and got a nice tip and we got on the board early."

Luke Satkowski tied the game on a deflected shot from the point at 8:10 of the third. Joe Guercio flicked a wrister from the point, and Satkowski redirected the shot past Moyer in a play that was identical to Wong's goal from the day before. 

Four minutes and seven seconds after the tying goal, Swartwout took the puck from the Jr. Flyers' corner, carried it to the middle and beat Moyer on a wrister to give New Jersey its first lead of the game.

"I was trying to go up top, but I fanned on the shot and it just went five-hole," Swartwout said with a grin.

Carmen was perfect in the third period and finished the game with 30 saves, capping off the come-from-behind win. Houli spoke about the team's grit and their ability to overcome the two-goal deficit.

"The resiliency was a tremendous response today, down 2-0 after a so-so second period. We had a good talk going into the third period and I thought they responded," Houli said. "The bench was great and very energized, and the fans were too. Everything just came together in that third period and the guys were excited. It showed that we had the grit and this team is going to be very resilient as we go."

Swartwout also spoke about the Premier team gelling together as a group, with most of the players getting their first taste of junior hockey this weekend.

"We got a lot of new guys who are not used to junior hockey, one being myself," he said. "We just had to come out and battle hard, get our legs under us, get used to junior hockey, and you do that by simply battling."

The Premier team returns to action on Sunday Sept 16, when they host the Philadelphia Revolution in Middletown. Last season, the 87's were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Revolution and will have a shot at revenge in the first of six matchups this season. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:50 p.m.