Early in the regular season, Lakeland defeated Western Branch 4-0. Apparently, it wasn’t enough – the Lady Cavaliers took the Lady Bruins 6-1 Wednesday in the semifinals of the Southeastern District tournament at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex.

Just over three minutes into the contest, Stephanie Owen snuck a corner shot out to Lindsey Cutchins, who sent it into the center. The ball got entangled in a mass of players and eventually spurted out to Ashby Stancill, who passed to Erica Rimasse for the first goal.

About 10 minutes later, Stancill charged up the right side of the field and sent a pass to Lindsey in the center. Stancill put her own mark in the scorebook with 11:25 to go when Nicole Klee gave her an assist.

With about four minutes left in the half, Owen gave Lindsey another corner pass. Lindsey bounced a shot across the right side of the circle, where Chelsey Salmon deflected it into the net for a 4-0 halftime lead.

Four minutes into the second half, Klee rushed into the circle from the right side, and took a swing at the ball, but only hit a glancing blow. She caught up to the ball and took another shot, but the keeper knocked it up the center. Owen corralled it outside the circle, and sent a pass to Klee, who had two defenders on her. Klee faked to the left, buttonhooked back to the right, and whacked in a goal.

Lakeland took out most of its first-stringers, putting senior goalkeeper Kelsey Cutchins in the field for the first time in the district tourney of her career, and Branch got a goal with 14:20 to go. With just under two minutes left, Owen sent another corner to Lindsey, who slipped it to Kelsey in the center. Kelsey tapped the ball forward, and the Branch keeper nearly fell on it. Kelsey kept swinging, and eventually knocked in her team’s last goal.

&uot;I didn’t think I’d get taken out (of goal), because it’s the tournament,&uot; Kelsey said. &uot;I was excited when I scored.&uot;

The Lady Cavaliers, who wrapped up their fifth consecutive regular-season title this year, can take their fifth-straight district tournament title with a win over city-mate Nansemond River Friday. It will be the third straight year the teams have met for the tournament title.

Their regular season title automatically puts Lakeland in Eastern Region competition, which they’ll open Tuesday at the Sportsplex against Granby.

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com