BIG RAPIDS — The third period has been the one where the Northern Michigan University hockey team has found its groove the past two games and that was the case again Friday night against Ferris State during the Wildcats first WCHA game of the year.

The game was a back-and-forth affair throughout with the teams trading goals in the second and third periods, but at the 13:15 mark in the third and the Wildcats on the power play thanks to a Ferris delay of game penalty, NMU forward Griffin Loughran sent a backdoor pass over to Joe Nardi who tapped it past Bulldogs goalie Roni Salmenkangas and gave the ‘Cats a 4-3 win. John Hawthorne picked up his second win in net for Northern (3-1-1), making 32 saves.

Ferris (2-2) struck first on a top shelf, power play tally by Nate Kallen at the 5:08 mark in the second period, but NMU answered back with a power play goal of its own as Andre Ghantous got a pass from Grant Loven and beat Salmenkangas glove-side at 9:03.

Two minutes later, the Wildcats took their first lead when Ty Readman picked up his first goal of the year. However, the Bulldogs got another goal from Kallen to tie the game at 2-2 going into the third period.

In the third, Northern’s Garrett Klee received a cross pass from Caleb Schroer and shot the puck over Salmenkangas’ glove at the 2:26 mark to put the Wildcats up 3-2. Ferris fought its way back though as Lucas Finner tied the game a little more than a minute later at 3-3.

After dropping its first game of the season, NMU has been unbeaten and two of its players extended their scoring streaks. Vincent de Mey picked up an assist to take his point-streak to five games and he continues to lead the Wildcats overall with seven points. Loughran also continued his point streak as his is now at four games, while Nardi and Darien Craighead are now at three games.

Northern tangles with the Bulldogs again tonight at 6:07 p.m. After that, the Wildcats will play three straight series at the Berry Events Center starting with Alabama-Huntsville on November 1.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Ryan Stieg. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.