This story was written by NMU Sports Information

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Robbie Payne's 4-on-4 goal lifted the Northern Michigan hockey team to a 2-2 tie with Ferris State Saturday night at Ewigleben Ice Arena.

The Bulldogs earned the extra WCHA point by taking the shootout, 1-0, after Craig Pefley roofed a shot past Atte Tolvanen and Darren Smith, who made 40 saves through regulation and the 5-on-5 overtime period, denied Casey Purpur.

With Friday's win and Saturday's shootout loss, the Wildcats will leave Big Rapids with four league points and a 2-3-1 (1-2-1 WCHA) record.

In the scoreless first period, Northern Michigan kept the pressure on Ferris State, building a 13-5 advantage in shots on goal.

During their first man advantage, the Wildcats had two prime scoring opportunities. First, on a transition play, Gerard Hanson found an open Troy Loggins in the middle of the right circle. Loggins fired a quick shot that Smith managed to send wide. Then, Smith denied Darien Craighead's attempt to pot a second goal off a Philip Beaulieu rebound this weekend.

Northern Michigan tested Smith again at 11:08, but he fought through a Filip Starzynski screen to smother a Jordan Klimek shot from the slot. Just over a minute later, Tolvanen came up with his biggest play of the period; after a turnover in tight, he lunged out of the net to swat the puck away before Trevor Recktenwald could get a clean shot off.

Just over a minute before Ferris State finally broke through, Smith denied Purpur on back-to-back shots from the slot and then managed to get a pad on Collin Peters's third-chance try from the left edge of the crease.

At 5:13, Recktenwald's pass from behind the net struck a Wildcat defenseman and skittered past Tolvanen.

Rylan Yaremko's first collegiate goal evened the score at 12:24. After Purpur fired a shot from the far edge of the left circle, Starzynski charged the net looking for the rebound. Starzynski's bid bounced out to Yaremko, who had skated into the slot; the freshman proceeded to sidestep a sprawling Bulldog defenseman and flip the puck into an empty net.

Ferris State opened the third period on the power play after Anthony Paskaruk was called for hooking with 48 seconds left in the second. The Bulldogs used that man advantage to come out flying. Five shots later, Taylor Fernandez broke through, burying a rebound from the slot at 1:38.

With just under 10 minutes remaining, Zach Diamantoni came up with a loose puck in the right circle, took a step and then fired a blistering shot that Smith just managed to bat wide with his blocker.

At 12:34, with the teams skating 4-on-4, Payne faked a shot in the middle of the right circle and then deked his way around Tyler Dorantes and into the slot. With Dorantes on his heels, Payne drew the puck to his backhand then roofed a shot past Smith.

Northern Michigan was awarded a power play in the final minutes of regulation. During that man advantage, the Wildcats had two quality chances, but Smith turned aside Loggins's slapper and gloved Klimek's booming shot from the point to send the teams to bonus time.

Right off the first overtime frame's opening face-off, Loggins broke free for a chance from the bottom of the left circle, but Smith turned his shot aside.

The teams traded scoring chances in a wild 3-on-3 overtime period marked by extended time spent on special teams. After Smith denied Hanson and Sami Salminen in tight, Tolvanen turned aside a Corey Mackin shorthanded bid with just 18 seconds remaining to send the game into the shootout.

The Wildcats take on rival Michigan Tech next weekend, squaring off in Houghton, Mich. on Oct. 28 and at the Berry Events Center on Oct. 29.

The following is a recap of Friday's game...

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — The Northern Michigan University hockey team scored four unanswered goals to dispatch Ferris State, 6-4, Friday night at Ewigleben Ice Arena.

Freshmen factored into four of six goals, helping the Wildcats capture their first WCHA victory of the season and move to 2-3-0 (1-2-0 WCHA) on the season.

In a wild first period, the teams combined to score six of the game's 10 goals, including four on special teams. Darien Craighead gave Northern Michigan a 1-0 lead at 5:37. On the first man advantage of the game, Philip Beaulieu fired a shot from the point, and Craighead potted the rebound from the left edge of the crease.

The Bulldogs responded with a power-play goal of their own at 7:37. Corey Mackin walked down the edge of the right circle and then laced a shot into the net.

Collin Peters took advantage of a Ferris State turnover to notch his first collegiate goal at 11:48. Peters came up with a Nate Kallen turnover in the slot and wired a shot into the lower left corner of the net.

The Bulldogs responded with three strikes in a six-minute window. First, Mackin netted his second goal of the game while shorthanded, beating Atte Tolvanen from a sharp angle at 12:57.

Then, at 14:20, Craig Pefley gave Ferris State its first lead of the game with a 4-on-3 goal from the edge of the right circle.

Chad MacDonald capped the first period's scoring at 18:33, capitalizing on a Wildcat defensive miscue.

Like the first, the second period was marked by extended time spent on special teams. But, this time, the only goal was scored at even strength.

Filip Starzynski pulled Northern Michigan within one at 13:26. After Ryan Black won a battle along the boards, he shuffled the puck over to Casey Purpur in the slot. Smith saved Purpur's shot, but Starzynski managed to shove the rebound home.

At 5:39 of the final frame, Luke Voltin evened the score. On the Wildcats' first man advantage of the period, Craighead found Beaulieu in the slot. Instead of taking the shot, Beaulieu slid the puck over to Voltin by the left post for the score.

Denver Pierce gave Northern Michigan a 5-4 lead with his first career shorthanded goal. Pierce stripped a Bulldog of the puck, rushed down the ice and then beat Smith top-shelf with a sharp-angle shot.

Craighead put an exclamation mark on the comeback at 13:23, taking a feed from Peters and roofing a shot past Smith stick side.

The two teams play again Saturday night in Big Rapids. The game will be broadcast live on WUPT-FM (100.3) and on WCHT-AM (600).