A year ago in November, the Iowa State soccer team was coming off of one of the best seasons in school history.

The team nearly made the NCAA Tournament, finished 48th in the final RPI rankings and had all the right pieces to be successful again this year.

One of those pieces was the Cyclones’ starting goalie – Lindsey Hendon.

Hendon was with the team for three years, and started every game except for two of them going into her senior year.

However in February, Hendon tore her ACL, putting a hole in the Cyclones’ goalie spot.

Iowa State knew it would be without its fourth-year starter at the beginning of the season, but the Cyclones didn’t know what kind of players that would leave them with.

The two players behind Hendon were freshman Dayja Schwichtenberg and sophomore Antonia Reyes, and neither had much time under their belts at the Division I level.

Reyes only had 45 minutes of play in 2016 and Schwichtenberg had yet to step on a college field.

Schwichtenberg started the season playing all 90 minutes at goalie and did so up until the team’s matchup against California State-Fullerton.

That’s when coach Tony Minatta decided to make a move.

Schwichtenberg and Reyes started splitting time during games. The sophomore, Reyes, would play the first half and Schwichtenberg would come to the field for the second.

After three games of that strategy, Reyes has completely taken over the spot.

“I just liked putting my team in a good position going into the second half,” Reyes said. “Just letting them handle what they can handle and if a goal goes in just know [the ball] got past all 11 players, not just the goalie.”

Now, as Hendon gets healthy, it sets up a three-way competition for the starting goaltender position.

Minatta said it’s Reyes’ job to lose.

“For us to make that switch right now would be difficult because of the way she is playing,” Minatta said. “It’s a good problem to have because when you have that kind of competition, it just makes the person going in that much better because they have to rise up to be able to earn that starting spot.”

The sophomore has only given up three goals in the five games that she has logged minutes in for the Cyclones.

That includes holding both No. 12 USC and No. 7 Florida to zero goals during her time in the game against the two powerhouses.

Once factoring in the two games where Reyes only played half of the game, and another that included a six-minute overtime period, Reyes has given up 0.87 goals per 90 minutes.

“She has just gotten better and better,” Minatta said. “I’m really happy with where she is at. I’m very happy with her progression so far this season.”

Reyes’ 0.87 mark is good enough for sixth place among Big 12 goalies in goals allowed.

“I’m very proud of myself, just because I put in a lot of work to get here,” Reyes said. “I just want to keep it up and be consistent for the team.”