‘Truly a Year to Remember’
As Cristina Lukas walked by the batting cages every day during the offseason, she could tell that something special was brewing.
On the heels of a 31-win campaign in 2023, Lukas, the long-time head coach of Dominican University softball, entered the year with lofty expectations for the program.
But the season that followed was one that surpassed any preseason goals. It was a year that will live in the record books of Dominican athletics.
The Stars captured a multitude of milestones in 2024, including the program’s first NACC regular-season crown and NACC tournament title. Dominican’s superb regular season and postseason heroics earned the Stars their maiden voyage to the NCAA tournament, where they also notched their first victory in the national competition.
By season’s end, the Stars amassed 39 total wins, shattering the team’s previous record of 31 set just one year prior.
“We exceeded any expectation I had for this past season,” Lukas said. “We had the right group of student-athletes who all got on the same page with our coaches and never got off track, didn’t get distracted and really continued working toward our goals relentlessly every single day.
“It was truly a year to remember, and just a wild ride,” Lukas later added. “This team really pulled together.”
It became evident early on that the Stars were poised for a banner year. Dominican opened the season at a blistering pace, winning 24 of their first 25 games. The torrid stretch of play included a 21-game win streak that lasted more than a month.
“We had every aspect of our game firing on all cylinders,” Lukas said, adding that the Stars’ run of dominance, and their strong play throughout the year, was fueled by the pair of ace pitchers Kayla Faber-Cournane and Emma Woodhouse.
The combination of Faber-Cournane and Woodhouse, who both earned First Team All-Region honors, led a dominant Dominican pitching staff that surrendered only 78 earned runs the entire year. Dominican finished the year with a miniscule 1.74 team earned-run average.
“When you have two pitchers of that caliber, you’re going to be in every game you play,” Lukas said. “Our pitching was absolutely outstanding. We probably broke a good percentage of our pitching records this past year.”
The Stars’ offense may have not been loaded with power, but what Dominican lacked in slugging was made up for by the team’s speed.
“It was the fastest team we’ve ever had here at Dominican and we were able to generate runs,” Lukas said.
Perhaps no feat showcased the team’s resilience and ability to find ways to win quite like its performance in the NACC conference tournament title game.
After falling behind early, the Stars quickly rallied to tie the game. With the game mired in a 2-2 stalemate in extra innings, Dominican found victory when a bunt rolled past second base and into right field, scoring a runner from second base.
The 2024 team will be remembered for many endearing qualities—but the group’s commitment toward achieving its goals is one characteristic that will stick with Lukas for many years to come.
“I think the fact that they united with a common purpose, decided what they were going to do and then just went and did it is what I’ll remember most about this group,” she said.
The Stars racked up a host of accolades for their on-field performance. Joining Woodhouse and Faber-Cournane—who also was named the conference’s top pitcher—in earning All-Conference honors was junior Donatela Sommesi. The team’s staff was also named coaching staff of the year by the NACC.
This upcoming season’s team is “shaping up nicely,” Lukas said, adding that the group is excited to build off its hallmark 2024.