Matador of the Week: Cindy Arteaga

Aliyah Hinckley
Cindy Arteaga, 10, dribbles to the goal and takes a shot against the CSU Fullerton Titans on Sept. 22, 2022, at Performance Soccer Field in Northridge, Calif. Arteaga has scored six of the eight goals for the Matadors this season.

Benjamin Miller, Reporter
September 30, 2022

Cindy Arteaga is the Matador of the Week after a stunning performance on the pitch versus Portland State University on Sept. 18.

Arteaga’s exceptional finishing ability gave the Matadors the push they needed to collect their second win of the season and start moving in the right direction, beating the Vikings 2-0.

Playing 79 minutes of the 90-minute game, Arteaga was able to put her stamp on the match, securing her first career brace by scoring the lone two goals in the shutout against the Vikings.

Cindy Arteaga, 10, passes the ball against the CSU Fullerton Titans on Sept. 22, 2022, at Performance Soccer Field in Northridge, Calif. (Aliyah Hinckley)

“You don’t know how many opportunities you are going to get in a game so you kind of just have to finish them, take your chances and play some low in the corners, just where the keeper is not going to get them,” the forward said.

Arteaga’s artistry with the ball creates scoring opportunities for her team and caught the eyes of coaches around the league, earning her Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career.

“It’s great, it feels good,” Arteaga said. “I have so much support around me and all my coaches believe in me. I did it for them.”

Arteaga has found the net at a high clip, scoring four goals in her last three games. She leads the Big West in both shots taken and shots on goal with 44 and 22, respectively. She also lands second in goals scored with six, proving that she is more than just a one-week wonder.

Cindy Arteaga, 10, protects the ball against a CSU Fullerton Titan defender on Sept. 22, 2022, at Performance Soccer Field in Northridge, Calif. (Aliyah Hinckley)

In her fourth year at CSUN, Arteaga has become a veteran. Learning from her past experiences has been indispensable in improving her performance both on and off the field and maintaining her well-being.

“Staying consistent, freshman year I struggled with it a lot. I feel like now as an older player I am able to stay more consistent with my performance, my mental health, [and] with balancing everything,” the senior said.

While Arteaga knows a career awaits outside of soccer, she wants to focus on the sport as much as possible for the foreseeable future.

“I don’t know how long soccer is going to be there for me, so I definitely want to take advantage of that for as long as I can,” said Arteaga.

The Matadors will host Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Oct. 2. A livestream of the game will be available on ESPN+.