Wisconsin Soccer Central

The Colorado Rapids have Major League Soccer's top defense and haven't lost a league match since early April, and Axel Sjöberg (Marquette) has been a big part of the Rapids' ascension.

The towering 6-foot-7 center back was named to the MLS Team of the Week after helping the Rapids blank Sporting Kansas City 1-0 on Saturday night in Commerce City, Colo., to extend their unbeaten streak to 14 games (8-0-6).

Colorado is in second place in the Western Conference with a 10-2-7 record and is averaging a league-best 1.95 points per game. The Rapids, whose most recent MLS loss came April 9, have allowed just 13 goals (0.68 per match).

The 25-year-old Sjöberg has started the past 12 games; Colorado has shutouts in six of those matches. He was named to the bench on the MLS Team of the Week last week after his 95th-minute header gave the Rapids a 2-2 draw with the host Vancouver Whitecaps.

"Axel Sjöberg is one of the most underrated center backs in the league," Colorado coach Pablo Mastroeni said after the match against the Whitecaps. "With every game, he gains more and more confidence."

On Twitter: @SjobergAxel

• Michele Dalton (UW) made three saves for her first shutout of the season as the Chicago Red Stars blanked the host Orlando Pride 1-0 in a National Women's Soccer League match Saturday in Florida. Midfielder Rebekah Roller (Brookfield East) was on the bench for the Red Stars, joining the roster as an amateur player after playing for the club's reserve team this summer in the Women's Premier Soccer League. Roller played for Finnish club Merilappi United last year and spent time in training camp with the Red Stars this spring. On Twitter: @MicheleDalton18 @RebekahRoller3
• Goalkeeper Ryan Onwukwe (UW-Milwaukee) is on tour with Bridges FC, which annually makes trips to Europe to help players make contacts with professional clubs and potentially earn contracts. The Illinois-based team played three matches in Denmark, including one against James "C" Nortey (Marquette) and Akademisk Boldklub, and is now in Sweden. Defender Patrick Seagrist, who redshirted as a freshman at Marquette last fall, also is playing for Bridges FC on the tour.