There aren't many Baltimore County teams that can match the playoff success that Loch Raven over the past five seasons.
The Raiders won a Class 1A state championship in 2009, lost in the state final last year and reached the state semifinals five years ago.
What the Raiders did Friday had to be even more impressive to Loch Raven coach Anthony Menegatti.
Loch Raven blanked host Chesapeake, of Baltimore County, 4-0, in the Class 2A North Region semifinal to advance to its 16th consecutive regional championship game.
"We have been fortunate to have a lot of great players and to have been so consistent," Menegatti said.
The Raiders (10-5-1) will be tested when they travel to Howard County to play Glenelg Tuesday for the region championship.
It could be Loch Raven's toughest matchup of the season. The Gladiators boast a tradition stronger than the Raiders.
Glenelg won state crowns from 2006 to 2008, advanced to the state semifinals in 2009 and lost in the state final last year.
Getting off to a solid start will be huge for Loch Raven.
The Raiders seemed to have put their early-season penchant for slow starts behind them.
"We have been working hard to get off to quicker starts in the playoffs and it has really paid off now," Menegatti said. "We had a good stretch in the middle of the year, where we started winning some games and scoring some goals. By mid year, it (the string of quick starts) kicked in and now it really has kicked in full gear."
Indeed. Loch Raven scored three goals in the first 16 minutes against Cheapeake in Essex.
The Raiders went ahead 1-0 nine minutes into play when Kayla Toole beat freshman goalie Emily Sprague (8 saves) on a penalty shot to the right corner.
It would turn out to be the only goal Loch Raven needed, but the Raiders quickly scored two more.
About three minutes after Toole's goal, Chelsea Hunt chipped a well-placed shot that went over a leaping Sprague and just under the cross bar.
A few minutes later, Jessica Carpenter redirected Samantha Eckels' corner kick into the goal.
Carly Cannon added a second-half goal — her ninth of the season.
"If we come out hard and loose and ready to play, we do OK," said Menegatti, whose team opened the playoffs with a 2-0 triumph over Oakland Mills behind goals from Allison Farrell and Toole.