JJ Suriano sat in the locker room frustrated after Maryland women’s lacrosse season-opening loss to Syracuse on Saturday.

For more than a year, the redshirt freshman goalkeeper prepared for the start — but it didn’t go as planned. Suriano made only four saves while surrendering 12 goals.

After the game, she texted former Maryland goalie Emily Sterling. Suriano wanted to see if the two-time Big Ten Goaltender of the Year was still at the stadium.

“She just kind of reassured me,” Suriano said. “She didn’t have a great first start of her career, and then she went on to be one of the best goalies in the country. So she reassured me on that … there’s going to be growing pains.”

The redshirt freshman combed through film the day after the loss when it was still fresh in her mind. She noticed she wasn’t being patient enough and was moving around too much in the net. The goalkeeper made adjustments at practice the next day.

[No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse holds off Georgetown for first win, 9-7]

“There’s a fine line between moving too much and being too set,” Suriano said. “I think I was kind of tiptoeing that line … that was something that I really focused on, just trying to find that perfect timing.”

The adjustments worked. Suriano bounced back from the season-opening loss with 11 saves and a .611 save percentage in a 9-7 win against Georgetown on Tuesday.

“JJ really stepped up,” redshirt junior defender Kennedy Major said after the win. “She’s great. We all have confidence in one another.”

Maryland especially relied on Suriano in the second half of Tuesday’s win.

After the Terps scored seven goals in the first half against the Hoyas, their offense struggled in the second half, scoring just two goals and turning over the ball 10 times. Georgetown outshot the Terps 12-8 in the half with improved draw control.

With just under eight minutes remaining in the third quarter, Hoya attacker Sophia Loschert cut toward the center of the eight-meter arc. Loschert quickly whipped a shot across her body toward the lower left corner of the net, but Suriano kicked out her foot, sending the ball toward the sideline.

[Maryland women’s lacrosse’s new offensive unit struggled in season opener]

Suriano jumped and slammed her stick on the ground in celebration as Maryland regained possession.

“I think that was what I was more excited for, knowing that we got the ball back and we were gonna go take it down on offense,” Suriano said.

The Terps jumped to a five-goal lead in the third quarter. But with just under four minutes left, the Hoyas had brought it back within two goals, when Suriano made another athletic save to keep Georgetown from making it a one-score game

Hoya attacker Anne McGovern weaved her way through the defense, hurling a pass to cutting attacker Gracie Driggs. The junior had already scored twice, but Suriano extended her stick above her head, deflecting Driggs’ shot and grabbing the groundball after it was thrown back toward the front of the net.

The save prevented a late Hoyas surge and helped Maryland secure the win.

Before she went to bed on Tuesday, she checked her phone and saw a text. It was from Sterling — congratulating her on the win.