Down in the final seconds of the game up one goal, No. 2-seed Maryland women’s lacrosse was in danger of fumbling a three-goal lead and sending the game to overtime. But as its defense collapsed and left No. 7-seed Ohio State’s Zoe Coleman wide open in front of the goal, JJ Suriano made the most important save of her career.

The goalkeeper stretched her stick to meet the point-blank shot, snagging the ball with just 27 seconds left on the clock to secure the quarterfinal victory.

“That was the first time our team’s really been tested like that this season,” head coach Cathy Reese said. “Our backs were against the wall … So that was a big deal and a huge stop for our team.”

The Terps took full advantage of Big Ten physicality Wednesday afternoon, capitalizing on man-up opportunities and free positions in a gritty 10-9 win over the Buckeyes.

Unforced errors were the name of the game early on, as the scoreboard remained clean for the first eight minutes. After turnovers on both sides of the field and an Ohio State shot clock violation, Kori Edmondson netted the first goal of the day — and her first in nearly two weeks — on a free position.

But Coleman snuck a shot past Suriano less than two minutes later, before Kate Tyack and Lauren LaPointe traded scores to keep the bout knotted at two goals apiece. After a foul call on Audrey Schoemer with less than a minute to go in the frame, Kayla Gilmore netted an eight-meter to give the Terps the lead.

Despite getting benched three times in the last four contests, Gilmore settled back into her top form. After earning a spot on the All-Big Ten first team, the sophomore’s eight draw controls decimated Ohio State, coupled with a pair of goals.

All three of Maryland’s first quarter snipes came on free position opportunities, as it went 5-for-6 for the day on eight-meters. Free positions have been a point of emphasis for the Terps all season long, only connecting on 44.9% of those opportunities heading into Wednesday.

“Free positions win games at the end of the day, and I think that showed today,” Edmondson said. “We were put on the eight a lot, and we executed.”

After letting in two goals to open the second quarter, Maryland seemed at risk of total collapse. The Terps faltered on defense, leaving lanes wide open and causing sloppy fouls. But as the backline tightened and forced a second shot clock violation, the offense began to shine.

A man-up goal from Edmondson brought the game to a stalemate before Kristen Shanahan notched her first score of the contest. Then, a misguided check placed Edmondson on the arc for another free position, which she buried to achieve her hat trick.

The duel in goal showed a tale of two keepers, with Suriano coming out on top. The junior failed to best her Division 1-leading 52% save percentage Wednesday, but still made nine saves on 18 shots on goals. Buckeye Jocelyn Torres was less successful, only recording a 44% save percentage on the afternoon.

LaPointe redefended an Ohio State clear and took the ground ball with nine seconds left in the half, chucking the ball into enemy territory. Gilmore corralled the ball in the fan and shuttled it to Jordyn Lipkin, who nailed her shot to double Maryland’s lead.

Despite efficiently putting away leading scorers all season long, the Terps simply couldn’t deny Kate Tyack. The Buckeye scored a hat trick against Maryland on Saturday and pierced its shell again Wednesday with seven total points on 11 shots.

Tyack produced Ohio State’s lone third-frame score, while Lipkin netted her second in a row to match the Buckeye. That score aided Lipkin to her second second hat trick in a row — she has scored 30% of her goals this season in the last two matches.

The Buckeyes charged back in the fourth quarter, scoring back-to-back goals before Gilmore and Abby Boyle exchanged blows to set the deficit at a single score.

But with Suriano’s final save, the Terps were able to escape the first round of the conference Tournament.

1. Capitalizing on errors. Maryland was far better at taking advantage of its opponents mistakes on Wednesday, a skill it has struggled with all season long. Scoring on 83.3% of their free-position opportunities and netting three man-up goals, the Terps will need to maintain their opportunistic nature in future physical games.

“Obviously, I wanna be 100% on man-up [opportunities], but it’s something that when it happens, we need to be able to capitalize,” Reese said.

2. Keeping it clean. Throughout the battle, Maryland’s defenders maintained composure on the back foot. The Terps only had three cards drawn on them to Ohio State’s six, with the Buckeyes being awarded four yellow cards.
3. Moving ahead. The Terps will now move on to the Big Ten semifinals, where they will rematch either Rutgers or Johns Hopkins. Maryland beat Michigan, 13-10, in last season’s semifinals on the way to a one-goal loss to Northwestern in the finals.