With one minute and 41 seconds left Sunday against Rutgers, the Maryland men’s lacrosse team was on the verge of winning its third game in eight days.

But with the Terps ahead, 12-11, late in the fourth quarter, Scarlet Knights goalkeeper Max Edelmann saved midfielder Adam DiMillo’s shot, giving his unit an opportunity to even the score.

A minute later, Rutgers midfielder Jeff George registered a game-tying goal to send the contest into an extra period. No. 3 Maryland won, 13-12, in three overtimes, but its fourth-quarter letdown forced an exhausted squad to expend additional energy.

Coach John Tillman was “proud” of the effort shown in the victory, but he felt better game management would have prevented the three extra periods.

“We made some mistakes and choices that we have to learn from and grow from,” Tillman said. “Just some game management … and situational awareness. … Some shot choices.”

[Read more: Connor Kelly’s third-overtime goal powers Maryland men’s lacrosse to a 13-12 win over Rutgers]

In the first 15 minutes, Maryland gave up four goals. Over the next 57 minutes, however, the Terps conceded just eight scores.

Goalkeeper Dan Morris fueled the turnaround. He let in six of the first eight shots he faced before making seven saves after the start of the fourth quarter. With a career-best 16 stops, he became the Big Ten’s leader in saves per game (11.09).

“[Rutgers] had some pretty good shots [early on],” Tillman said. “Sometimes with goalies it’s kind of a rhythm thing … It’s like a pitcher getting into that rhythm and sometimes when you make that first save, it’s like, ‘OK, we got the first save, and now I can settle in.'”

While Tillman called Morris “tremendous” and “a big reason why we won the game,” the goalkeeper could not stop George’s late strike. So, the Terps logged 12 more minutes before midfielder Connor Kelly’s third-overtime goal secured the victory.

But Tillman didn’t think about being a part of Maryland’s longest game since a seven-overtime loss to Virginia in 2009 as it happened. Instead, he set out to maintain a consistent game plan on both sides of the ball.

“When you’re in the moment, you’re just so focused on what do you need to do next that it doesn’t really go through your mind that you’re in the first overtime or second overtime,” Tillman said. “You’re just in that period, and you’re trying to manage that period as best you can.”

Still, Tillman acknowledged the extended time wasn’t ideal, especially after such a grueling week. Maryland earned a 12-11 win over Albany four days prior to its bout with Rutgers. Monday, the Terps have the day off, and the coach hopes they can use the break to recover.

Moving forward, the coaching staff will monitor the distance players run and the intensity of their running to prevent injuries. As Maryland prepares to face Ohio State on the road this weekend, Tillman will use that information to decide when his squad needs further rest.

“Any time you play three games in eight days, that’s a lot to ask,” Tillman said. “But they’re young. They’re well conditioned. We certainly need to the next couple of days be sensitive to that.”