Renegades pick up needed win at home In a game the Richmond Renegades all but had to win to remain in playoff contention, the local club came up big yesterday. Richmond never trailed but couldn’t put away pesky Twin City until the third period of a 6-3 victory before 3,022 at the Coliseum. Snapping a three-game losing streak, the Renegades (29-26-2) moved to one point behind fourth-place Fayetteville (28-23-5) in the Southern Professsional Hockey League standings.

Less than 24 hours after what was perhaps the most devastating loss of the season, the Richmond Renegades were back on the ice, practicing at SkateNation and trying to put the 5-4 setback to Fayetteville on Tuesday night behind them. But it wasn’t easy, realizing they had blown a 4-3 lead—and the two points that go with a victory—with less than five minutes to go.

Allan B. Harvie Jr., president and general manager of the Richmond Renegades, announced this morning that the Southern Professional Hockey League club will suspend operations after this season.

The Richmond Renegades almost climbed out of a deep hole last night before losing to Twin City 5-4 in Winston-Salem, N.C. Trailing 5-0 late in the second period, the Renegades scored late in the frame and added three goals in the third but it wasn’t enough to prevent their third straight loss. Defenseman Dan Vandermeer had a goal and two assists for Richmond, and Beau McLaughlin added a goal and an assist. Geoff Rollins had two assists.

Geoff Rollins’ second goal of the game at 2:42 of overtime gave the Richmond Renegades a 6-5 victory over Knoxville last night in Knoxville, Tenn. Despite being outshot 48-26, the Renegades (19-15-1) knocked off the first-place Ice Bears (21-8-5. Richmond has gone 7-2-1 on the road since starting the season with an 0-6 record away from home.

The Richmond Renegades did all of their scoring in the second period last night, and it was just enough to hold off Twin City 4-3 in a Southern Professional Hockey League game in Winston-Salem, N.C. Richmond turned on the red light four times, which was all the margin goaltender Ryan Scott needed to improve his record to 8-4-1. Scott finished with 32 saves and was named first star of the game. With the victory, the Renegades (18-14-1, 37 points) moved within two points of second-place Huntsville (18-11-3, 39).

Welcome back Dan Vandermeer. Good to have you on the ice again, too, Dennis Sicard. Oh, yeah. It’s always nice to pencil you into the lineup, Ryan Busby.

Any discussion of the first half of Richmond’s season in the Southern Professional Hockey League usually starts and ends with the defense. It’s the worst in the SPHL, allowing nearly four goals a game. The forwards and defensemen have been guilty in more than a few games of allowing the opposition to roam freely around the ice and get off uncontested shots from point-blank range.

The blood-letting started early last night between Richmond and Knoxville. There were four fights in the first 12 seconds, one of them resulting in a shovel full of blood that had to be scooped up at the Knoxville blue line before play resumed.

Ryan McCarthy scored twice, Tim Green and Mat Ponto added a goal and two assists apiece and the Columbus Cottonmouths drubbed the Richmond Renegades 7-2 last night in Columbus, Ga., for a split in their weekend series. Ryan Rutz scored on a power play at 17:59 of the opening period, and McCarthy lit the lamp unassisted 42 seconds later for a 2-0 lead.

Justin Joy and Beau McLaughlin scored 2:25 apart early in the first period, and the Richmond made the goals stand up in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Cottonmouths in Columbus, Ga.

When Trevor Karasiewicz, one of the coolest heads in the SPHL, exploded midway through the second period and slammed his stick into the boards, it was clear the Richmond Renegades were skating uphill last night. And the scoreboard inside the Coliseum reflected their frustration, too. The cellar-dwelling Columbus Cottonmouths were outhustling the Renegades as they parlayed 30 shots on goal into a 3-1 lead.

Stop trying to win a beauty contest. That basically was the between-periods message Richmond Renegades coach Brian Goudie delivered to his team about its power-play opportunities.

Scoring early and often, the Richmond Rengades scored the first two goals and enjoyed it so much, they didn’t stop until they had finished off a 10-4 victory over Fayetteville.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—Kirk Irving kicked out 31 shots, leading the Knoxville Ice Bears to a 4-0 win last night over Richmond, the Renegades’ second straight shutout defeat. The Renegades, who dropped a 5-0 decision to Twin City on Saturday night, also took 31 shots in falling to 0-6-0 away from home. The Renegades’ road trip concludes Thursday in Fayetteville. The Gades will return to the Coliseum on Friday to take on the Fayetteville.