As coach Brian Goudie put it after practice at SkateNation yesterday, “The roller coaster has started already.“ His reference was to several players leaving and others arriving just two games into the 2008-09 season. There will be at least three new faces on Coliseum ice Friday (7:35), when the Renegades entertain Knoxville, defending champions of the Southern Professional Hockey League.

Richmond Renegades forward Justin Joy skated unimpeded down the right side and had a clear shot at Fayetteville goaltender Chad Collins. Sitting on the opposite side, with an even better shot to tie the game, was Ryan Busby. Joy spotted his teammate and whipped a pass across the ice. With Collins on one side of the net, Busby had the other side wide open from about 20 feet. He missed.

It took a while for the Richmond Renegades to get their new-look offense in gear last night. But once they did, the local Southern Professional Hockey League team left Twin City in their rear-view mirror. Coming from two goals down twice in the second period, the Renegades won going away 6-4 in the season opener before 3,505 at the Coliseum.

Richmond coach Brian Goudie released three more players yesterday, raising the number of cuts since Friday’s exhibition loss at Liberty University to seven. Goudie gave the bad news to two defensemen, Tom Yawney and Ruben Wolf, and one forward, Matt McGilvray, before a morning practice at SkateNation. The Renegades had to move out of the Coliseum because of today’s appearance at the Leigh Street facility by Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Defenseman Dan Vandermeer scored two goals, and the Richmond Renegades rallied to defeat the Fayetteville Fire Antz 5-4 in a Southern Pro Hockey League exhibition game before 3,292 at the Coliseum last night. Ryan Busby assisted on each of Vandermeer’s goals, which came with 4:30 left in the second period and 13 seconds into the start of the third and helped the Renegades overcome a 3-1 deficit.

When the Richmond Renegades open their exhibition slate tonight in Lynchburg, the roster will consist mostly of rookies, coach Brian Goudie said yesterday. “I’ve got to find out who can play and who can’t play,“ Goudie said. “I know who some of them are, but I’ve got to find out who can make the team. I’ve got four or five spots open.“

The Richmond Renegades opened training camp yesterday at the Coliseum, and for the most part, coach Brian Goudie liked what he saw - in particular at the forward position. “Guys can skate up front,“ Goudie said after the morning session. “Especially some of the guys I have filtering down from other training camps. Forward is going to be a tough haul for some of the guys from last year. There’s going to be some jobs up for grabs, and the next week will tell the story.“

Scratch two players who were expected to show up for Richmond’s training camp, which opens Oct. 13 at the Coliseum. Coach Brian Goudie said yesterday that defensemen Bret Norris and Jozef Kubaliak will not be part of the Renegades’ roster for 2008-09. Norris, who played in 37 games for Richmond last season after coming from Jacksonville in a trade, told Goudie he was going to coach in minor hockey this year.

With training camp less than three weeks away, the Richmond Renegades signed three more players last week, bringing to 13 the total under contract for the 2008-09 season. The latest group were all members of last year’s squad for part of the season and include defensemen Clay Lewis and Bret Norris. Forward Jason Price rounds out the trio.

The first Renegades golf tournament benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association will be held Oct. 20 at River’s Bend Golf Club. Teams will consist of three players, plus a Renegades personality assigned by random draw. Space is limited to 21 teams, with a half-dozen spots left. Cost is $300 per team or $100 per person. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., and a shotgun start is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. For more details or to enter, contact the Renegades office at (804) 644-7825.