Maryland women’s lacrosse’s offense went stagnant in the fourth quarter against Denver. A four-goal Terps lead shrunk to two with about 10 minutes left as Maryland only generated two shots in the entire final frame.

Last weekend, the Terps’ defense failed to preserve a late lead. The same unit redeemed itself Saturday. No. 9 Maryland shut down No. 10 Denver in the game’s final moments to earn another ranked road win, 10-8.

“I thought our defense played great — to hold a team like that, to limit their goals,” coach Cathy Reese said. “Emily [Sterling] made some great stops, our team made some great stops collectively, too.”

The Terps’ defense excelled despite the fact that Maryland turned over the ball 20 times Saturday, including four times in the final 15 minutes. It was the Terps’ highest total through their first five games.

Shaylan Ahearn, Libby May, a failed clearance and a shot clock violation accounted for Maryland turnovers in the closing frame.

The giveaways created a disparity between offensive and defensive possessions in the fourth quarter, as Denver was on the attack for a majority of the final 15 minutes.

[Strong second-half defense helps No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse down No. 10 Denver, 10-8]

The Terps also struggled late against Florida, and committed two fourth-quarter turnovers against the Gators. Florida punished Maryland, scoring three times in the final period and once in overtime to stun the Terps.

Maryland goalie Sterling said her defense went into “panic mode” during the game against Florida, and it seemed as if the Terps were on the verge of another collapse against the Pioneers. Maryland’s offense struggled to generate shots and didn’t score in the final frame as Denver chipped away at its deficit.

But this time, the defense stayed resilient against Denver’s attack.

Pioneer attacker Sloane Kipp scored on a player-up opportunity, cutting Maryland’s lead to two goals with more than 10 minutes to play.

Then May lost the ball to Bryn McCaughey, which allowed Denver to launch a quick attack toward the Terps’ goal. Denver’s Trinity McPherson entered the offensive zone and flipped the ball to Julia Gilbert, who had already fired four past Sterling.

Gilbert shot down the middle, allowing Sterling to reach her stick out and deflect the effort. The Pioneers’ next possession resulted in a shot clock violation, and Maryland completed the clear.

[Maryland women’s lacrosse aims to improve shooting with another ranked opponent on deck]

“We turned the ball over a couple times in the fourth quarter … obviously plays that we wish we had back,” Reese said. “But when the ball ran down we went down the field, and Emily made a great save.”

May attempted to ice the game with Denver by pulling its goalie to up its defensive pressure. She decided to shoot instead of holding onto the ball, but her attempt was saved as time ticked down.

The Pioneers launched another attack. Olivia Penoyer caught a pass right on top of the goal crease, but was met by Sterling and two Terps defenders. Sterling made her 10th save and Meghan Ball picked up the ground ball before completing the game’s final clear.

Maryland’s defensive unit needed to step up when its offense couldn’t extend the Terps’ lead after numerous turnovers and missed shots. A game after it could not stifle Florida late and suffered its first loss of the season, Maryland’s defense made sure that didn’t happen again.

“We were able to execute and hold on at the end of the game … to be able to walk out and leave here successfully,” Reese said.