ECHL FINDS NOTHIN' FINER THAN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR NEW TEAM

          The ECHL Board of Governors approved Columbia, SC, as
     the league's 30th team at its preseason meetings over the
     weekend.  Sports Docs Inc., a group of doctors from
     Florence, SC, has been approved to own the franchise, with a
     home arena pending.  The ECHL will monitor the group's
     progress in securing an arena lease in the Columbia area. 
     In other news from the meetings, the Board of Governors
     reviewed four expansion applications from groups in Atlantic
     City, NJ; Reading, PA; Lakeland and West Palm Beach, FL. 
     Also, the sale of the Jacksonville Lizard Kings to a group
     headed by David Berkman was approved.  The Berkman group,
     along with Charles Felix and Bruce Burge, also owns the
     ECHL's Pensacola Ice Pilots and Birmingham Bulls (ECHL).