GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- If UND's men's hockey could find a way to avoid playing the second period, life would be a whole lot rosier for the Fighting Sioux.

The season-long painful second period jumped up to bite the Sioux again tonight.

The visiting Wisconsin Badgers outscored the Sioux 3-1 in the second period and rode that to a 4-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association victory in front of 11,311 fans at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The Sioux (5-5-1 WCHA, 7-7-1 overall) have been outscored 26-14 overall in the second period in 15 games to date.

UND's miserable second period came right after the Sioux matched their season high for shots on net in a period with 18 in the opening period that ended in a 1-1 tie.

But in the second period, the Sioux didn't even manage a shot on net until sophomore wing Ryan Duncan (Calgary, Alberta) scored on a wrist shot off left wing at 9:24 on a 4-on-4 situation, tying the game at 2-2.

It was the second goal of the game for Duncan, who slammed in a rebound of point shot by defenseman Taylor Chorney (So., Hastings, Minn.) at 12:19 of the opening period on a power play to give the Sioux a 1-0 lead.

Duncan's goals were his 10th and 11th of the season, tops among the Sioux and just five shy of the 16 he scored as a rookie a year ago.

Duncan's game-tying goal didn't last long.

Wisconsin came back to end the second period on a go-ahead goal by Jake Dowell at 17:26 and one by Matt Ford at 18:59 for a 4-2 Badger lead.

Freshman defenseman Chay Genoway (Swan River, Man.) pulled the Sioux within 4-3 on his power-play blast at 11:42 of the final period for the fourth goal of the season for Genoway.

But Badger All-America goalie Brian Elliott (31 saves), a Hobey Baker finalist last year, was his usual stout self in holding off the Sioux. The Sioux pulled their goalie in the final minute for a sixth attacker and mounted pressure on Elliott, but got nothing past him.

The loss was UND's fourth in its last five WCHA games. More so than at other times, it also left head coach Dave Hakstol searching for answers as to why UND's play is so inconsistent from one period to the next.

"One bad period gets you beat in this league, and that's what happened tonight,'' he said.

Hakstol pulled starting goalie Philippe Lamoureux (Jr., Grand Forks, N.D.) after the second period after he had given up four goals on 22 shots. Freshman Anthony Grieco (Brampton, Ont.) played in goal the third period and stopped all six shots he faced.

The second period woes is something Hakstol has no easy answers for.

"I've got to be the first one to take responsibility for that,'' Hakstol said. "We're not going to roll over and say we can't play 60 minutes. We're going to figure out a way we can play 60 minutes and a way we can do it every single night -- and not stop until we do.''

Tonight was not one of those nights.

"We certainly have the potential to be a good hockey team,'' Hakstol said, "but potential is not what we're looking for. Potential doesn't win games.''

The Sioux outshot the Badgers 34-28, and converted on 2-of-6 chances on the power play while holding Wisconsin to 1-of-7.

Wisconsin captain Andrew Joudrey answered Duncan's first goal in the opening period, banging in a loose puck just 51 seconds after Duncan's goal.

Freshman defenseman Jamie McBain gave Wisconsin its first lead on a soft wrister from the right point that bounced by Lamoureux at 4:18 of the second period for a 2-1 Wisconsin lead.

Duncan came back to tie it five minutes later, only to see the Sioux give up two goals later in the troublesome second period that did in the Sioux.

There weren't many facets of the game Hakstol was pleased with, including goaltending, as indicated by his goaltending change after two periods.

"Everybody's got a job to do,'' Hakstol said of his goalie change. "You're got to do your job.''

Last year, the Badgers swept the Sioux in Grand Forks on their way to the NCAA championship.

Saturday night when the teams conclude their series, the Sioux hope to avoid that same fate and find a way to solve the mystery of the second period letdown.

Virg Foss, who spent 35 years covering college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald before retiring in October 2005, can be reached at virgfoss@yahoo.com