Lee Valley Lions recovered from a 15-3 thrashing by Haringey Huskies on Saturday in the National Ice Hockey League South 2 to lose just 5-4 in the NIHL South 2 Cup fixture against the same opponents on Sunday.

In Saturday’s demolition, Harry Sage, Jordan Ho and Vinne Ferrara were on target but the Lions over outclassed throughout.

Huskies were yet to lose a league game before this encounter, and it shoed as they racked up six goals in the first period through braces from Stephen Woodford and Matthew Hepburn as well as goals from Lee mercer and Luke Martin-Digby.

Sage, making his debut after signing from Streatham, and Ho also bagged in the opening period to make it 6-2 at the first interval.

Goals from Ricky Rutherford and Stuart Appleby took Haringey’s total to eight midway through the second period, and the former netted once more before a further two from Woodford took the hosts up to 11.

Ferrara grabbed his second of the season with an assist from James Joseph to give Lions their final score of the night.

The Huskies didn’t let up and they added a further four goals through James Pentecost (2), Hepburn and Woodford to seal a miserable evening at 15-3.

On Sunday, the two sides met again, this time at the Lee Valley Ice Centre in cup action, and a much closer game ensued.

Lions welcomed back Ross Sin-Hidge from suspension, while James Andrew was given the nod as netminder.

The hosts started strongly as they looked to go some way to rectifying the previous day’s repeat, and they took the lead early on when 18-year-old Lewis Blore scored his first for the club, assisted by Oscar Kally.

Only a minute later though, the game was level again as Pentecost equalised, and Huskies were soon ahead when former Lions player Ben Duffy capitalised on a defensive breakdown.

A repeat of Saturday’s mauling looked to be on the cards at the start of the second period when Huskies came out and notched three goals in quick succession through Mark Robinson, Ryan Payne and James Hepburn.

However, Lions raised their game this time around and pulled one back through Joe Berry before the period was out.

Sin-Hidge celebrated his first game back with an excellent breakaway goal at the start of the third period to put his side in with a shout, and there was further joy when Ho tucked home from a tight angle to make it 5-4.

There wasn’t enough time left to force overtime though, and the Lions go into this Saturday’s home game against Peterborough still winless this season.