The Rapids on Monday moved to shield its veteran core, after submitting a list of 11 protected players to the Major League Soccer for Wednesday’s league expansion draft, the team said.
The Rapids protected goalkeeper Matt Pickens; strikers Conor Casey and Omar Cummings; midfielders Jeff Larentowicz and Brian Mullan; defenders Pablo Mastroeni, Drew Moor and Marvell Wynne; and internationals Danny Earls, Joseph Nane and Jamie Smith.
The expansion Montreal Impact will join the MLS as the league’s 19th team next season. The Impact can select one player from 10 of the teams.
DU volleyball coach resigns.
University of Denver volleyball coach Beth Kuwata resigned after 16 seasons. After a 13-16 season, she leaves as DU’s all-time winningest volleyball coach with a 254-237 (.517) record.
Golfers coming to CU.
Kraig McLeod of Carmel High School in Pebble Beach, Calif., and Ross Thornton of Blue Valley North High School in Leawood, Kan., have signed to play golf at the University of Colorado.
• Megan Haase of Spokane, Wash., Alexis Keating of Olympia, Wash., and Jamie Oleksiew of Vancouver, British Columbia, signed to play for the CU women.
Wyoming QB wins second player-of-week award.
University of Wyoming freshman quarterback Brett Smith was named the Mountain West offensive player of the week after rushing for 140 yards and two touchdowns and passing for 212 yards and one TD in a win over New Mexico on Saturday.
It was Smith’s second conference award this season for the Cowboys.
