WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Catholic University men's lacrosse team outscored Elizabethtown 12-2 in the second half en route to a 16-8 victory in the Landmark Conference championship game Saturday at Carlini Field.

The Cardinals (13-4) won their second consecutive conference championship and fourth overall. They also secured their fourth appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship and second-straight.

Senior Mike McShea was named tournament Most Valuable Player after winning 17-of-26 faceoffs and picking up 13 ground balls.

McShea won 7-of-9 faceoffs in a decisive third quarter as Catholic outscored the Blue Jays 7-1 to rally from a two-goal halftime deficit to take an 11-7 lead into the fourth. Senior Cameron Dunn scored twice in the quarter while senior Kevin Crowley had a goal and two assists.

After each team scored to start the quarter, the Cardinals reeled off the final six goals of the quarter. Crowley assisted Dunn at 6:10 to tie the game at 7-7 before finding junior Matt Scandone just 44 seconds later to put the Cardinals ahead for the first time and for good, 8-7.

Elizabethtown (11-7) finally ended the run just 17 seconds into the fourth on a man-up goal by Gavin Gismondi, but that would be the only tally allowed by the Cardinal defense as they held the Blue Jays to just one goal over the final 24:27.

Junior Nic Pezone led a defensive effort with 19 saves, including 13 in the second half and eight in the third quarter. His counterpart, Brayden Franey, had 13.

In two conference tournament victories, Pezone totaled 37 saves and a 6.50 goals-against average.

Additionally, senior Matthew Clohessy and junior Andrew Kearns contributed to the defensive effort with two caused turnovers each. Clohessy also had three ground balls.

The Catholic defense held Landmark Conference Offensive Player of the Year Owen Yake without a goal on 11 shots.

Crowley totaled six points with four goals and two assists while Dunn also netted four goals. A total of nine players scored a goal for Catholic while 11 had at least one point. Junior Ryan Carroll added one goal and two assists. Senior Collin Stein had one goal, one assist and six ground balls.

The selection show for the 2022 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship will broadcast on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. Watch here.