Lady Leopards Blast Bucks 20-0 in Season Opener – Girls Lacrosse
Louisville 20, Medina Buckeye 0
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The Louisville Leopards Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team opened the 2026 season in dominant fashion Wednesday night, shutting out the visiting Medina Buckeye Bucks 20-0 at Louisville Leopards Stadium. The Leopards scored three times in the opening quarter, exploded for 10 more goals in the second period, and never looked back in a commanding season-opening victory.
Demos Scores 4 Goals to Lead Louisville
Abby Demos scored all 4 of her goals in the second quarter as Louisville found the back of the net 10 times in the period to open up a 13-0 halftime advantage. Demos scored off passes from Callie McKimmie and Kloey Rukavina. She then added two more unassisted goals later in the quarter, including her fourth of the game just before the halftime horn.
The 13 first half goals are the most by the Lady Leopards since scoring 14 in the first half during a 22-1 victory over the Southeast Pirates on May 11, 2024. Louisville reached double figures just once last season during a 13-3 Senior Night win over West Geauga. The Lady Leopards matched their single-game high from last season in just one half to open the 2026 campaign.
Demos also assisted the final two goals of the third quarter scored by Gianna Pentito and Grace Diller to make it 17-0 heading into the final stanza.
Five Leopards Register Hat Tricks
Along with Demos, four other Louisville players recorded hat tricks. Notching three goals were Izzy Babcock, Diller, Claire Genet, and Jaden Pumneo.
Babcock scored all of her goals in the opening half and also provided an assist on Pumneo’s second score.
Diller found the back of the net in each of the first three quarters and also notched two assists.
Genet scored three straight goals in the middle of Louisville’s second-quarter surge. She intercepted a pass from the Buckeye goalkeeper and flung it back into the net to make it 8-0. Genet then scored two more unassisted goals within a few minutes to expand Louisville’s lead to double digits at 10-0. Genet also provided an assist for Alyssa Lirgg’s lone goal to start the scoring in the fourth quarter.
Pumneo followed Lirgg with her third goal of the night via an assist from Josie Butler to expand the Leopard lead to 19-0. Pumneo also scored the first two goals of the second half proving Louisville wasn’t going to take its foot off the gas.
The final goal of the game came off the stick of Rukavina via an assist from Kendra Balestra to make it 20-0. It was a fitting end to the scoring since Balestra opened the game with the Leopards’ first goal shortly after the opening draw.
Louisville Vs. Medina Buckeye Full Game
Largest Home Shutout in Team History
The 20-0 victory is the Lady Leopards’ largest home shutout in team history. It eclipses their previous largest home shutout, a 19-0 win over GlenOak on March 16, 2018. Their only larger margin of victory in a shutout came in a 21-0 win at Boardman a day later on March 17, 2018.
This is Louisville’s fifth shutout in team history with the 2018 team accounting for the other four shutouts. The 2018 squad shutout Boardman for a second time at home 17-0 on April 23, 2018. They then recorded the only tournament shutout in team history by posting another 17-0 victory against Beachwood in a designated home game played at Mount Union Stadium with turf renovations taking place at Louisville Leopards Stadium.
Fourth 20-Goal Game in Team History
Louisville’s 20 goals are the second-most the Leopards have ever scored in a home game. Only Louisville’s rain-shortened 22-1 Senior Night victory over Southeast on May 11, 2024 yielded more LHS goals at Louisville Leopards Stadium. This marks the fourth time in program history the Lady Leopards have scored 20 or more goals in a game. They also won 21-5 at GlenOak on May 4, 2017.
The 20-0 shutout was an ideal way to open Louisville’s tenth season as a program.
UP NEXT: The Louisville Girls Lacrosse Team will next host the Mentor Cardinals on Saturday, March 28. Game time is set for 2:00 PM from Louisville Leopards Stadium.
Cover Photo By Rick Everhart Photography
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Buckeye at Louisville Girls Lacrosse Scoring Summary
LEOPARDS 20, BUCKS 0
Team 1-2-3-4–TOTAL
Buckeye 0-0-0-0–00
Louisville 3-10-4-3–20
1st Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Kendra Balestra (Unassisted) | LHS 1, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Izzy Babcock (Unassisted) | LHS 2, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Grace Diller (Unassisted) | LHS 3, BHS 0
2nd Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Abby Demos (Callie McKimmie) | LHS 4, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Izzy Babcock (Grace Diller) | LHS 5, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Grace Diller (Unassisted) | LHS 6, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Abby Demos (Kloey Rukavina) | LHS 7, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Claire Genet (Intercepted Goalkeeper Pass) | LHS 8, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Claire Genet (Unassisted) | LHS 9, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Claire Genet (Unassisted) | LHS 10, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Abby Demos (Unassisted) | LHS 11, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Izzy Babcock (Unassisted) | LHS 12, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Abby Demos (Unassisted) | LHS 13, BHS 0
3rd Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Jaden Pumneo (Izzy Babcock) | LHS 14, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Jaden Pumneo (Grace Diller) | LHS 15, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Gianna Pentito (Abby Demos) | LHS 16, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Grace Diller (Abby Demos) | LHS 17, BHS 0
4th Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Alyssa Lirgg (Claire Genet) | LHS 18, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Jaden Pumneo (Josie Butler) | LHS 19, BHS 0
LOUISVILLE – Kloey Rukavina (Kendra Balestra) | LHS 20, BHS 0
Records: Louisville 1-0, Medina Buckeye 0-3
