The Bow High hockey team faced its toughest challenge yet when it welcomed Dover to Everett Arena on Saturday for a Division II tilt. The Green Wave jumped out early and put a win out of reach.

Bow, the defending champion, has a lot of new faces this season after losing more than half of its offensive production to graduation last year. Dover, meanwhile, looks to be improved from last season when the team exited the first round of the playoffs in a loss to Windham.

The Green Wave has opened its season with three straight wins, the latest a 5-2 decision over Bow (1-1) in Concord on Saturday.

Bow coach Tim Walsh said there were too many “mental breakdowns” by the Falcons when they had their sticks on the puck. Those mistakes led to scoring chances for Dover (3-0), and the Green Wave made the most of those opportunities.

Ryan Tobeler, a senior who has carried a heavy load for the offense through two games, was responsible for both of Bow’s goals.

After Dover jumped out to a 3-0 lead, Tobeler scored his first goal on a power play in the second period.

It didn’t take long for Dover to answer back, lighting the lamp with about 35 seconds left in the period and taking a three-goal lead into the third.

“That as deflating,” Walsh said. “Dover controlled play for most of the game.”

The season is still young and Bow has time to find its rhythm, but the December portion of the schedule moves by quickly. After the Falcons play at Keene on Wednesday and host Lebanon-Stevens on Friday, they won’t play a regular-season game again until Jan. 2 at St. Thomas.

“We’ve got to move on and get ready,” Walsh said. “There isn’t time for us to sit around. If we do, we could be looking at a 1-3 start here and it doesn’t slow down. I’m confident the kids will put the work in and do what they need to do to make the changes and get us where we need to be.”