GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The Wisconsin men's hockey team entered the third period tied Saturday night, but No. 1 North Dakota scored twice in the final 20 minutes to salvage a series split.

A night after dropping the top-ranked team in the country, the Badgers (3-4-3, 0-0-0-0 Big Ten) found the back of the net just once in a 3-1 loss to North Dakota (7-1-2, 2-0-0-0 NCHC) at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

"This whole process, if had told these young men that we were tied 1-1 going into the third period after beating North Dakota on Friday, we would've taken it," head coach Mike Eaves said after the game. "It stings right now because we didn't get the job done, but that's part of our growth as a young team to mature and to realize how you have to stay in the gameplan."

For the second straight night, Wisconsin fell behind in the opening 10 minutes of the first period, but again UW battled back to draw even.

Despite getting outshot by 38-16 in the game, Wisconsin got a superb performance by freshman goaltender Matt Jurusik and the penalty kill unit to keep the game within reach. In the first period, North Dakota got two separate chances on a five-on-three power play, but couldn't solve the Wisconsin penalty kill either time.

The two separate two-man advantages for UND included one minute and 26 seconds of a five-on-three power play. Wisconsin killed that off to stay down just one goal with a little less than four minutes to play in the first.

After those two quality chances for North Dakota, the UW penalty kill excelled the rest of the way and finished the night 7-for-7 on shorthanded opportunities on special teams.

"We survived that storm in the second period. It was outstanding," Eaves said. "We rallied around that a little bit once we got that killed."

It was junior assistant captain Grant Besse who helped Wisconsin solidify that rally midway through the second period. On the heels of the fifth successful penalty kill of the night by UW, Adam Rockwood slipped a pass to Besse from behind the UND net. Besse tapped home the feed from just left of the crease, beating North Dakota goaltender Matt Hrynkiw to knot the score at one at the 10:24 mark of the frame.

"[Rockwood] got behind the net, and that's what we were trying to do all night," Eaves said of the game-tying goal. "We were trying to get the puck below the dots and behind the [net]…and try to get the puck going side to side. And they worked it excellently there. It was a couple of real skilled guys and a really fun goal to watch."

Wisconsin got 19 second-period saves from Matt Jurusik to keep the score knotted at one heading to the second intermission.

Even though UND had less opportunities in the third period, the top-ranked team in the nation found a way to break the deadlock. A little bit more than seven minutes into the final period of regulation, Johnny Simonson poked the puck to Shane Gersich point-blank in front of the UW net, and Gersich beat Jurusik five-hole to give UND the lead for good.

Drake Caggiula scored with less than five to go in the period to give North Dakota a two-goal cushion and the final margin of victory.

Even in the defeat, Eaves thought the weekend provided Wisconsin with some valuable experience moving forward.

"Under the pressure that we had here tonight, this group of loose carbons maybe is coming into a diamond a little bit with a little bit more time here," Eaves said. "As disappointing as it was, we recognize it is for what it is, and that's part of the process."

Wisconsin has its first bye of the season this coming week. UW returns to action in two weekends when it faces Denver at the Kohl Center on Nov. 20-21.