National League: Cardiff 2 Lee Valley 2

Lee Valley Lions picked up their first league point since February 2012 after a battling display in Wales.

Lions lost all of their matches last season, having beaten Invicta Mustangs 6-5 towards the end of the 2011/12 campaign.

But they got some reward against Cardiff, after conceding the only goal of the opening period to Zak Shanahan.

Lions forced mid-ice turnovers in the second period and drew level when Romanas Fedotovas fed Joe Berry in the slot to fire a first-time shot into the bottom corner.

But Devils regained the lead when the visitors failed to capitalise on a penalty against Jack Randall and Matthew Downward skated away unchallenged to beat Aaron Mallet.

Lions squared matters for a second time when Theo Abban struck before the interval and both sides had chances to win it during a tense final period.

Lions lost Max Gerstein to injury and were outshot in the closing 20 minutes but had the better chances to score.

Berry set up Ben Osbourne, who fired over, before Mallet denied a Cardiff 2-on-1.

Abban skated off with Lee Valley’s man of the match award and they will look to build on this performance when the Isle of Wight Tigers visit next Saturday (October 5).

The news was not so good for Lee Valley’s under-18s, who slipped to a 9-1 defeat against their Cardiff rivals.

And the under-16s were beaten 10-4 at home by their Swindon counterparts.

They visit Basingstoke on Sunday, while the under-18s welcome Bracknell to the Lee Valley Ice Arena.

Scorers, Cardiff: Downward 1 Shanahan 1 Monaghan 0+1 Latchford 0+1.

Lee Valley: Abban 1 Berry 1 Hodge 0+1 Fedotovas 0+1.

Shots faced: Miller (Cardiff) 31 Mallet (Lions) 41.

Penalty minutes: Cardiff 8 Lee Valley 4.