With a new year on the horizon, the Augusta Lynx are looking to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

In the jumbled ECHL South Division standings, the Lynx sit locked in the middle. Above them is second-place Gwinnett with 39 points. Below the Gladiators, the next four teams are separated by five points.

The Lynx are tied for third with 33 points, and head coach Bob Ferguson said the key to climbing up in the standings is simple.

"By the end of the year the team that can handle adversity better than the others ends up at the top," he said.

Adversity came knocking over the Christmas break when the Lynx lost their top goal scorer, Aaron Slattengren, who was offered a spot on the AHL's Manitoba Moose.

Slattengren, with 21 goals in 28 games for the Lynx, ranked second in the ECHL in goals scored before heading to the next level.

"It's definitely not a surprise. I just wondered what's taken so long," Ferguson said. "He's been outstanding since the start of the year. It's good for him, but the timing couldn't be worse for us."

The move took away the top scorer from a team in need of more scoring. The Lynx have come up a goal or more short in four of their past six games. Entering Thursday's 4-1 loss at Charlotte, three of the Lynx past five goals belonged to Slattengren.

"They'll be fine," Slattengren said of his former team before Manitoba's road game in Hamilton, Ontario on Thursday. "They had been struggling to score, but this just makes room for other guys to step up."

Rookie James Brannigan was picked up Thursday to fill Slattengren's roster spot.

The remaining Lynx forwards will get more chances to fill that scoring void at home this weekend.

The Lynx will play three home games in four days beginning at 7:35 tonight against Gwinnett.