On Jan. 16, goalie Ryan Senft was ready to leave the Richmond Renegades and accept an offer from the Mississippi RiverKings of the Central Hockey League.

The Renegades had already lost their other goaltender, A.J. Bucchino, who signed with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL) the day before.

Senft was coming off a 1-0 blanking of Twin City at the Coliseum -- making 31 saves -- and was on the verge of telling his teammates goodbye and heading south.

But coach Brian Goudie and Allan B. Harvie Jr., president and general manager of the club, persuaded the 23-year-old Senft to remain in Richmond as the team's No. 1 netminder.

All Senft did was win the next seven games, helping the Renegades put together a Southern Professional Hockey League-record, 12-game winning streak that lifted them back into the playoff chase and within two points of first place.

Richmond has cooled off a little lately, losing its past three going into this weekend's series at Huntsville, but Senft has a good shot at being the SPHL's goaltender of the year.

Heading into this weekend, Senft is tied for the league lead in wins (14), second in save percentage (.915) and third in goals-against average (2.95).

The Times-Dispatch sat down with Senft after practice recently and talked about his run of success.

Q: Why didn't you leave the Renegades when the opportunity arose to make more money in a little higher league?

A: They [Mississippi] weren't guaranteeing me nothing. I was going there for one game and if I played well, things might have worked out, maybe. Judging by the way [Richmond] was jelling and coming around, I didn't want to risk losing a good opportunity here, so I stayed.

Q: Leaving the Renegades without a goaltender would have really put the team in a bind, right?

A: Yeah, I guess I just felt kind of a loyalty, too. I really enjoy playing with these guys. I like the coaches. I've played a while and I've learned that sometimes things aren't always better on the other side. When I was younger, sometimes I would go when teams called me and run there the next day, and I'd be in a bad situation. I know that if you're in a good spot, just to enjoy it and stick with it.

Q: You and A.J. had been sharing the duties between the pipes, although Bucchino's numbers were among the best in the league. So when he left, you were clearly No. 1, which is good for a goalie, eh?

A: Yeah, me and A.J. were splitting games and when he left, I knew there was an opportunity there to play some games, considering everything went well. I knew Chaps [Jay Chrapala] was coming and I knew he was a good goalie also. He had played a lot of games [for Richmond] last year, so he was pushing me.

Q: You've gotten healthy now after a groin injury sidelined you for about a month. How much difference has that made?

A: My groin started to feel better. Finally, when our team started to play good, and winning a few in a row, that's helped my confidence that I could win games every night. There was a time this year when it seemed like we were just sitting back and learning how to win.

Q: How much has the defensive improvement of the team affected your game?

A: The 'D' have been playing unreal and also our forwards are buying into the defensive concept. The forwards come back and that helps the 'D,' and the 'D' are in better position to help me. It's a whole team defense, and it makes my job that much easier.
Contact John Packett at (804) 649-6313 or jpackett@timesdispatch.com.