Early in the third period, Diamantoni and Shine combined to net three goals in a five-minute window. Those strikes turned a 3-2 edge into a 6-2 advantage, which proved to be the difference in the game.

The first period's lone goal came at 17:32, just a second after Northern Michigan's second power play expired. After Shane Sooth stood up a Laker in the neutral zone, Shine corralled the loose puck and carried it into the offensive zone. He dished it to Sooth, and Sooth gave it right back to him to thread into the upper right corner of the net.

Just under five minutes into the second period, Anthony Paskaruk appeared to give the Wildcats some breathing room when he slipped a Denver Pierce rebound between Gordon Defiel and the left post. But, after a lengthy review, the goal was disallowed.

During the final five minutes of the middle stanza, the teams combined to score four goals. Shine began the offensive burst at 12:33 while Northern Michigan was shorthanded. After he blocked a Lake Superior State dump in, he raced in on a breakaway and picked the left corner of the net over Defiel's shoulder.

The Lakers drew back within a single strike less than two minutes later, just four seconds after their power play expired. At 14:12, Atte Tolvanen denied Anthony Nellis with a pad save, but the puck kicked out to J.T. Henke to chip into the empty net. Then, at 15:58, they evened the score; a bad change by the Wildcats resulted in a 2-on-1 rush, and Max Humitz finished off a Nellis feed.

But Northern Michigan regained its lead with just 36 seconds remaining in the second period. Brock Maschmeyer's long outlet pass hit a man in the neutral zone and skittered into the offensive zone. Gerard Hanson beat his defender to the puck and then threaded a backhanded pass through traffic to Troy Loggins in the slot. Defiel got a piece of Loggins's bid, but the puck squirted through the space between his blocker and his pad, putting the Wildcats up, 3-2.

Northern Michigan carried the momentum from that clutch Loggins strike into the third period, scoring three unanswered goals in the first nine minutes. First, at 3:13, Diamantoni sent a Darien Craighead rebound past Defiel while crashing the net. Then, at 6:05, Robbie Payne's shot from the edge of the left circle struck Diamantoni in front and deflected past Defiel.

Shine capped the game-deciding stretch, and sealed his second career hat trick, at 8:13, one-timing a Hanson feed past Defiel during a 5-on-3 man advantage.

Lake Superior State made it a 6-4 game by netting goals at 12:03 and 15:58 of the final fame.

With the win, Northern Michigan tied the 2016-17 Cappo Cup series at one game apiece. The Wildcats hold an 8-7 advantage in goals scored, which is the tie breaker.

The Cappo Cup series continues next weekend. The first game will be played on Jan. 13 at the Berry Events Center; the second is in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on Jan. 14.

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.