BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Ferris State used a late power play goal to thwart the Northern Michigan hockey team's comeback bid Friday night in the first game of their WCHA quarterfinal series at Ewigleben Ice Arena.

Dominik Shine and Shane Sooth found the back of the net in a three-minute span to erase a 2-0 deficit in the third period, but the Bulldogs capitalized on their first man advantage of that frame to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

Ferris State jumped out to a 1-0 advantage at 5:37 of the first. In transition, Jacob Hetz hit an open Ryan Lowney with a cross-ice feed, and Lowney picked the upper left corner of the net from the middle of the right circle.

During their first power play, awarded at 11:06, the Wildcats' second unit generated two prime scoring opportunities. First, Cohen Adair managed to tip a Barrett Kaib shot, but Darren Smith read the re-direction and sent the puck wide. Later, Filip Starzynski found Adair alone in front, but Smith managed to stop Adair's backhanded try.

With less than two minutes remaining in the opening stanza, Northern Michigan's top line began to buzz around the Ferris State net. Smith denied back-to-back bids by Shine, first on his tip of Zach Urban's shot and then on his point-blank bullet from the middle of the left circle.

Northern Michigan outshot Ferris State, 9-8, in the second period, but the Bulldogs extended their lead to two at 8:37. After Dahlstrom got across the crease fast enough to keep Simon Denis's shot from finding its way between him and the right post, the puck skittered out to Jared VanWormer on the left edge of the crease, and VanWormer tapped it into the open net.  

The teams combined to take 11 penalties in a chippy middle stanza, skating 4-on-4 twice. The Wildcats couldn't find the back of the net on their two man advantages, which included an extended 4-on-3, but they forced Smith to make some acrobatic saves, including on an uncontested Sooth try in front with just under nine minutes to play.

In the third period, Shine's 15th goal of the season drew the Wildcats within one at 6:52. Tied up with a Bulldog on the blue line, Urban managed to get the puck to Darren Nowick, who played it ahead to Shine. Shine skated to the middle of the right circle and roofed a shot past Smith glove side.

Then, at 9:47, Robbie Payne found an open lane to play the puck to Kaib on the point, and Kaib immediately fired a shot on net. Smith stopped Kaib's shot, but Sooth was there to pot the rebound and tie the game at two.

The Bulldogs responded with a power play goal at 12:34. Ryker Killins sent a pass from the corner to Kyle Schempp in front, and Schempp deflected the puck past Dahlstrom blocker side.

Smith, who finished with 27 saves, withstood a late Northern Michigan flurry to preserve the victory for Ferris State.

The Wildcats will look to force game three tomorrow, taking on the Bulldogs at 7:07 p.m.

NOTES: Northern Michigan leads the all-time series, 53-29-5 ... The Wildcats lead the postseason series, 3-2 ... Six different Wildcats netted a point in the game ... Nowick notched his 18th assist of the season, tying him with Gerard Hanson for the Northern Michigan lead ... Shine became the second Wildcat to reach the 30-point plateau; he has 15 goals and 15 assists on the season ... Shine finished one shot shy of his career high, last accomplished at Penn State Jan. 24, 2015 ... Three of Northern Michigan's five games against Ferris State this season were decided by a single goal.