BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — The Northern Michigan hockey team fell to Ferris State, 5-1, Friday night at Ewigleben Arena.

The Bulldogs peppered Atte Tolvanen with 22 shots in the first period, but the freshman netminder turned aside every one. With 5:02 remaining in the frame, he made two of his biggest saves, denying back-to-back shots by Jacob Hetz, first from the middle of the left circle and then on the edge of the left post, with Andrew Mayer on the doorstep waiting for the rebound.

Ferris State opened the scoring just 1:03 into the middle stanza when Matt Robertson cut in on net from the right circle and fired a shot that was potted by Mitch Maloney. At the 10:41 mark, the Bulldogs took advantage of a Wildcat line change to generate a 2-on-1 opportunity, and Andrew Dorantes finished off a Corey Makin drop pass.

Near the end of the frame, Ferris State scored twice in just over a minute to put Northern Michigan down by four. First, shortly after Darren Nowick created a shorthanded opportunity only to have his hockey stick snap in half when he took the shot, Simon Denis rifled the puck over Tolvanen's shoulder at 17:18. Then, at 18:32, Kenny Babinski walked in on net and fired a shot through a screen that beat Tolvanen.

At 5:27 of the third, Robbie Payne netted his 11th goal of the season to keep the Bulldogs from posting their third shutout of the season. On a 3-on-2 rush, Dominik Shine played the puck over to Barrett Kaib on the left wing. Kaib sent it ahead to Payne, who buried the rebound of his initial shot.

The Bulldogs built their lead back to four just over two minutes later when Hetz walked in on net and roofed a shot past Tolvanen.

With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 12-11-6 (9-8-4 WCHA). They close their series with Ferris State tomorrow at 7:07 p.m.

NOTES: Northern Michigan leads the all-time series, 52-28-5 ... Tolvanen's 22-save first period matched his single-period high, accomplished in the second frame of the Wildcats' 0-0 tie with Bemidji State Oct. 30; he reached the 20-save plateau only one other time, Dec. 4 at Alabama-Huntsville ... Tolvanen finished with 42 saves, his sixth 40-save effort .... Northern Michigan last allowed four goals in a single period Oct. 17 at Lake Superior State ... The Wildcats last allowed five goals in a single game Nov. 6 at Alaska-Fairbanks ... With an assist, Kaib ran his point streak to three games ... Shine extended his point streak to four; he has only been held off the score sheet twice in the past 10 games.