PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Top-seeded St. John Fisher dominated visiting Nazareth in the Empire 8 Conference championship game for men's lacrosse Sunday as the Cardinals captured their second straight league title with a 20-6 victory.
 
The Cardinals, ranked 11^th nationally in Division III, improved to 11-3 overall and gained the Empire 8's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament. First-round pairings will be announced tonight. Nazareth's COVID-altered season ended with a 4-7 record. Jon Roth and Quinn McKercher each scored two goals and Jeremy Jacob had one goal and one assist. Goalie Carson Pickeral had a career-high 19 saves.

Fisher never trailed in generating quarter leads of 5-2, 9-3, and 15-6. The Cardinals had sizable statistical advantages in shots (60-23), ground balls (35-13) and face-offs won (18-11). Nazareth also committed 26 turnovers and seven penalties for 5:30.

Fisher scored the game's first three goals before Roth put Nazareth on the board off an assist from Jacob with 2:15 left in the first quarter. He scored again with just :03 left in the period off an assist from Jack McOsker as Nazareth stayed within 5-2.

Fisher's lead continued to increase in the second quarter. Nazareth's one tally came from the stick of McKercher with 3:50 left.

Nazareth got third-quarter goals from Lucas Cobery, Jacob and McKercher. The Cardinals countered by scoring the last eight goals of the gme to pull away.

Despite facing a barrage of shots, Pickeral played well in goal as he finished the season with 95 saves and a save percentage of .572. Jacob finished as a team scoring leader with 36 points. He also finished with 84 career goals.

Fisher's Nick Miller scored four goals and added three assists to earn tournament MVP honors.