MOORHEAD, Minn. – Though the sample size is small, through the first two games of the regular season, the second period has been a bugaboo for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team.
 
In losses to St. Scholastica and Augsburg, the 'Jackets found the going the toughest in the middle frame, being outshot and outscored, with the second period lull directly contributing to the defeat.
 
Saturday at Concordia, the Yellowjackets solved their second period issues, at least for one game. The third period, however, was a different story.

The Yellowjackets and Cobbers were scoreless through 40 minutes, in a game that was as even as even can be. Concordia ratcheted things up in the third however, on the way to a 4-0 win over the Yellowjackets at the Moorhead Sports Center.
 
It was a blue-collar opening period for both teams, with the shots even at 7-7 and each team only having a few good scoring chances. Gavin Rasmussen (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior) was denied at the left side of the goal and both C.J. Walker (Boise, Idaho/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) and Blake Holmes (Apple Valley, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) were turned aside from point-blank range.
 
The second period featured more of the same. Chances were limited both ways despite more penalties being called. Shots were 16-15 Concordia but the game stayed scoreless through two.
 
Early in the third Boone Mathison (Tomah, Wis./Tomah) had a great chance in the opening minute, but his redirection went wide of the mark. Moments later Concordia broke the tie.
 
Liam Haslam opened the scoring at 2:21, wristing a shot from the slot over the shoulder of Yellowjacket goaltender Kobe Grant (Vernon, British Columbia/South Kamloops Secondary). Cole O'Connell extended the lead with a power play goal 8:53, getting a loos puck in the goal mouth and pushing it past Grant.
 
Concordia made it 3-0 at 14:19 when Troy Dahlheimer took a pass at the top of the goal crease and put it home. Then, following a Yellowjacket timeout, Mason Plante won a race to a puck and scored into the empty net at 15:36 to make the final score 4-0.
 
In the third period Concordia outshot the Yellowjackets 13-7, giving them a 29-22 edge in the game. Grant finished the night with 25 stops for the Yellowjackets, and he falls to 0-3-0 on the year. At the other end, Matt Fitzgerald got the shutout for Concordia.
 
The Yellowjackets (0-3-0, 0-0-0 WIAC) will make their home debut for 2023-24 Friday, Nov. 10 when they host Bethel. The opening faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. at Wessman Arena.