SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — Lake Superior State outlasted the Northern Michigan hockey team, 3-2, Friday night in the first game of their 2016-17 Cappo Cup series.

Brock Maschmeyer cut the Laker lead to 3-1 with just four seconds remaining in the second period, and Dominik Shine made it a one-goal game late in the third, but the Wildcats' comeback bid ultimately fell just short.

Less than two minutes into the game, Diego Cuglietta intercepted a Northern Michigan pass and skated in alone on Atte Tolvanen. Tolvanen managed to turn his shot aside to maintain the scoreless deadlock.

At 4:34, Lake Superior State struck first while the teams were skating 4-on-4. On the rush, J.T. Henke threaded a saucer pass to Anthony Nellis, who had found open ice in the slot. Nellis managed to tip the puck over Tolvanen's shoulder.

Tolvanen kept the Lakers from using their abbreviated power play to quickly extend their lead, denying Mitch Hults and then diving across the crease to stop his attempt to pot his own rebound.

After that, the Wildcats settled down, and the teams began to go up and down the ice trading chances. By the end of the period, Northern Michigan had tested Gordon Defiel eight times, including with a point-blank bid by Collin Peters after a Lake Superior State turnover and an Anthony Paskaruk breakaway chance.

Nellis's second goal of the game gave the Lakers a 2-0 lead at 6:17 of the middle stanza. After his initial shot was blocked by Troy Loggins, Nellis came up with the puck and buried it into the back of the net. At 15:45, Cuglietta netted what proved to be the game-winning goal, stuffing home his own rebound in a goalmouth scramble.

With 6.6 seconds left in the second period, the Wildcats were awarded a power play, and they capitalized almost immediately; just two seconds later, Sami Salminen won a face-off back to Maschmeyer, who fired a blistering shot past Defiel's glove to trim the Laker edge to 3-1 going into the second intermission.

Early in the third period, Northern Michigan killed off a Laker Superior State power play without allowing a shot on net. The Wildcats were also successful on their next penalty kill to remain within two strikes.

Roughly 15 seconds before Shine's goal, Tolvanen kept Cuglietta from putting the Lakers back up by three. After Cuglietta got around his man, he cut in on the crease and fired a shot that Tolvanen managed to get a pad on.

Shine's team-leading ninth goal of the season came in transition at 13:14. Shine took a drop pass from Shane Sooth in the right circle and beat Defiel glove side with a high bullet to draw Northern Michigan within a single strike.

Tolvanen was pulled for the extra skater in the final minutes of regulation, but the Wildcats could not net the equalizer. Defiel made one save, and Kyle Chatham blocked two shots, to help the Lakers preserve their victory.

The Cappo Cup series moves to the Berry Events Center tomorrow. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:07 p.m.

NOTES: Northern Michigan leads the all-time series, 66-41-11 ... Lake Superior State took a 1-0 lead in the 2016-17 Cappo Cup series ... The teams were even in shots on goal at 25-25 ... Demico Hannoun, who joined the Wildcats before the second half, made his collegiate debut and picked up his first collegiate point with the secondary helper on Shine's goal ... Sooth's assist was his first point of the season ... Shine has scored five goals in Northern Michigan's past six games ... All three of Maschmeyer's goals in 2016-17 came on the power play ... With his strike, Maschmeyer extended his point streak to three games (1g-2a), matching his career-best streak that ran from Jan. 3 to Jan. 10, 2015 (2g-3a) ... Maschmeyer now has 23 career goals, moving him into sole possession of seventh all-time among Wildcat defensemen.