GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Just when UND solved its second-period blues, the closing period came back to bite the Fighting Sioux men's hockey team tonight.

Colorado College outgunned the Sioux 3-1 in the third period to claim a 4-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association victory and send the Sioux (4-4-1 WCHA, 6-6-1 overall) to their third straight loss.

Colorado College junior left wing Scott McCulloch scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season at 19:00 of the third period when Jimmy Kilpatrick's centering pass deflected off McCulloch's skate and past Sioux junior goalie Philippe Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), who finished with 24 saves. Lamoureux was making his first start in the last seven games after being sidelined with a lower body injury.

It was a bitter finish for the Sioux. They had been outscored 23-11 in the second period in their previous 12 games, and had outscored opponents in the second period just four times this season.

But sophomore wing Ryan Duncan (Calgary, Alta.) gunned in his team-leading ninth goal of the season on a power play at 14:22 of the second period. It gave the Sioux their first lead of the game and sent them into the third period looking to snap their losing streak.

The Sioux, 4-0 when leading after two periods before tonight, gave up two power-play goals to the Tigers in the closing period to lose to the Tigers for the eighth time in their last 11 meetings.

McCulloch's goal came 90 seconds after Sioux sophomore wing T.J. Oshie (Warroad, Minn.) slipped a wrist shot through the legs of CC goalie Matt Zaba (24 saves) at 17:24 of the third period for a 3-3 tie.

It was the third goal of the season for Oshie, who had 24 a year ago in his rookie campaign.

But after UND sophomore defenseman Brian Lee (Moorhead, Minn.) was penalized for slashing the stick of a CC player at 18:50 of the final period, the Tigers needed just 10 seconds on the power play to score the winning goal.

It was a frustrating finish for the ninth-ranked Sioux, considering they were swept last weekend by Alaska Anchorage.

"We're playing well enough to win, especially in the last two games,'' said Duncan, who had a goal and an assist and leads the Sioux in both goals (9) and points (15).

"It's frustrating,'' Duncan said. "We know we are a good team. We've just got to keep working hard and hopefully those bounces will change for us.''

Besides the bounce off McCulloch's skate that decided the game, Sioux captain Chris Porter (Thunder Bay, Ontario) grazed the outside of the post with his wrist shot with six minutes left in the game and the score tied at 2-2. Seconds later, the Tigers scored when Derek Patrosso roofed his shot from in tight over the shoulder of Lamoureux on the short side.

CC's Braydon Cox and Sioux freshman wing Chay Genoway (Swan River, Man.) traded goals in the first period before Duncan's goal at 14:22 of the second period gave the Sioux their first lead.

But the Tigers had the big closing finish while the Sioux nothing but frustration.

UND coach Dave Hakstol put the line of Oshie, Duncan and Jonathan Toews (Winnipeg, Man.) back together late in the game after Oshie had played most of the game on a line with Porter and Matt Watkins (So., Aylesbury, Sask.)

"We were down a goal, and we hadn't generated a whole lot of offense in the third period,'' Hakstol said. "We needed to try to change something.''

It changed a 3-2 deficit into a 3-3 tie in quick order, but the Tigers had the final salvo on the puck that McCulloch directed in with his skate, permitted by the rules.

"That is the way the breaks have been going for us the last three games, no question about that,'' Hakstol said. "In order to turn that around, we need to do something to make our own breaks. We didn't do that tonight. We put ourselves into a man-down situation with a minute and a half left in a tied hockey game. That led to a bounce against us.''

The Sioux didn't get their first shot on goal in the opening period until Brad Miller (Alpharetta, Ga.), put a shot on CC goalie Matt Zaba at the 8:37 mark.

"I actually thought we came out a little slow in the first period and they (CC) came out with a lot of energy on the road,'' Duncan said. "We had a couple of power-play chances in the third period, and didn't capitalize. Give them credit. They never gave up.''

The Tigers cashed in on their final two power plays after the Sioux had blanked them on three chances before the final period. The Tigers finished 2-for-5 on the power play, the Sioux 2-for-6.

"We don't want to give up a one-goal lead in the third period in our own building,'' Duncan said. "We've got to to come out with a better effort tomorrow night. Hopefully, one of those bounces won't cost us the game.''