Playing the game he loves

a closer look Sometimes Matt Larke has to pinch himself. The right wing is playing professional hockey for a living. Doing something he's enjoyed almost since his stepfather first threw him on the ice when he was 3.

"I cried and said I don't want to do it again," Larke recalled. "Then, the next day I loved it."

It may only be the Richmond Renegades -- in the Southern Professional Hockey League, lowest rung on the pro ladder -- but it beats the alternative of finding a real job.

"I never got paid before to play hockey," said Larke, 21. "That's crazy.

"I'm just trying to manage everything. It's pretty cool. Living on your own. It's a great experience."

Larke was one of only four rookies to make the 18-man roster last October, and he is the only first-year pro remaining on the Renegades, who take on first-place Knoxville tonight (7:35) at the Coliseum.

"The kid has raw talent," Richmond coach Brian Goudie said. "The experience down here will benefit him in the long run. He can skate and shoot. He's got good hands. He's gotten better as the season's gone along.

"He's a good one-on-one player. He just needs to incorporate more of a team aspect into his game. When he has the puck on his stick, he can make things happen. Sometimes, he tries to do a little too much, beating guys one-on-one. Sometimes, you've just got to play the game, chip and go."

A native of Oxford, Mich., Larke thought he was going to college after playing juniors in the North American and United States leagues for a few years. But his SAT scores weren't high enough for him to get him into Northeastern, which was interested in him.

"It just didn't work out," said Larke, who spent last season with the NAHL's Springfield Junior Blues (53 points in 56 games). He was in Port Huron's (International League) training camp this season before being released and coming to Richmond's camp.

"The [Port Huron] coach told me I was good but that I lacked experience," Larke said. "I understood that, but I was pretty bummed mentally when I first got here. I just love to play, though, and that's what counted the most, I think.

"I've just tried to play my role. Work hard. Chip in here and there."

Lately, Larke has done more than chip in occasionally. He had two goals and one assist in Richmond's 5-2 decision over Huntsville last Saturday and was first star of the game. For the season, the 6-0 197-pounder has 12 goals and 12 assists in 45 games.

"All of these guys are good," Larke said. "It's a big difference from [the NAHL]. I'm still trying to adjust. I'm a little more comfortable, but you just make sure you skate like it's your last time, so there's no way they can let you go. That's my mentality every game."

Larke has learned more about the game from his teammates.

"I've watched guys like [defenseman Dan] Vandermeer," Larke said. "He's so smooth. Never panics. There's a big difference between his game and my game."

Larke hopes to return next season, more knowledgeable and better equipped for scoring.

"Points to me this year is not so important," he said. "I just want to work hard and get this rookie year done with. It'd be great to score every game but I know I'm not. I just leave it up to the big guys to score."

Contact John Packett at (804) 649-6313 or .