In the game column

Kids have been playing ice hockey for years, even decades, in other southeastern cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., and Charleston, S.C.

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Here in Augusta, there was no such sport until January 1999, when the Augusta Ice Sports Center opened its doors.

Which is why the success of the fledgling Augusta Junior Lynx travel hockey program - especially the Lynx Pee Wee Division team - is all the more impressive.

The Junior Lynx Pee Wee squad (11-12 year olds) are tied for first place at the midway point of the 2003-04 East Coast Youth Hockey League season with an 8-0-1 record. The local team will play host to the next ECYHL Pee Wee tournament, to be held Jan. 10-11 at the Ice Sports Center.

Led by USA Hockey director emeritus and Ice Sports Center co-owner John Crerar, the ECYHL was formed in 2001 and features teams around the southeast. Crerar is a Rhode Island native and longtime Aiken resident who founded USA Hockey's Southeastern District 30 years ago.

The Augusta Pee Wees are tied with the Atlanta Thunder for the top spot in the division, ahead of teams from Charlotte, Charleston, S.C., and Florence, S.C.

In ECYHL play, a series of games are played one weekend a month on a rotating basis at the home rink of each team.

The Pee Wee Junior Lynx feature several of the top players in the southeast and are coached by Keith Powell, former Augusta Lynx coach and general manager Jim Burton and Dennis Dickens.

Two years ago, the same group of players won the inaugural ECYHL championship in the Squirt Division (9-10 year olds).

"When we first started playing travel games five years ago, before (the ECYHL), we were going up to Atlanta and Florence with these boys and losing 20-1, 20-0, those type of scores," Powell said. "We've come a long way. I think the kids have developed to the point they really know the game now."

The Junior Lynx feature the top three scorers in the Pee Wee Division, which includes more than 100 players. Dalton Wates of North Augusta leads the division with 32 points on 28 goals and four assists, followed by Drew Slaton of Martinez (14-11-25) and Kelby Burton (16-6-22), the son of the former Lynx coach.

Three more Augusta players are among the top-20 scorers in the division. Kenny Coleman (2-8-10) is 13th and Matthew Sammons (4-5-9) and Adam Eiring (2-7-9) are tied for 14th in the division scoring race.

Augusta also boasts one of the top goaltending tandems in the division. Taylor Powell is 5-0-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average, while Jesse Sczublewski is 4-0-1 with an 0.67 GAA.

Powell credits the team's success to a disciplined, hard-working group of boys and the coaching of Burton, a longtime minor-pro hockey player who is the only player in the history of the International Hockey League to win defenseman of the year honors three times.

"Jim Burton has been invaluable," Powell said. "Just his ability to teach the kids systems and strategies. He's a great teacher."

The Junior Lynx program also is icing competitive teams in the Midget (15-17 year olds) and Squirt Divisions. Although the Midget team has struggled, Augusta's Squirts (5-1-0) are in second place in the division and trail the Charlotte Blast (6-0-0) by just two points in the standings.

Three of the top-10 ECYHL Squirt Division scorers are from Augusta - No. 3 Daniel Anderson (9-4-13), No. 5 Mickey Reville (7-3-10) and No. 9 Chase Suprek (6-2-8). The Lynx Squirts also rely on the strong goaltending tandem of Charles Kirby (4-0-0, 3.00 GAA) and Richard Redd (1-1-0, 3.50 GAA).

Next up for the Junior Lynx Squirts is tournament play in Charleston on Jan. 17-18.

The Junior Lynx program features the top players from the Ice Sports Center recreational house leagues. Tryouts are held in the summer.

For more information on the Junior Lynx and Ice Sports Center leagues, contact Crerar at (706) 863-0061.

KING OF THE DIRT: Ed Basey of Evans captured the 2003 points championship in the Southern Dirt Racing Association Carolina Clash Series, which featured late-model cars competing in more than 20 races in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Another local driver, Mo Gordy of North Augusta, finished 14th in the points standings.

Basey will be honored with his championship trophy at the Carolina Clash Awards Banquet on Jan. 10 in the Speedway Club at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Reach Rob Mueller at (706) 823-3425

--From the Thursday, January 1, 2004 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle