Felipe Gutiérrez scored a league-best five goals in March. (Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports)

NEW YORK – Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Gutiérrez was voted the MLS player of the month for March, it was announced Friday.

The 27-year-old Designated Player leads MLS with five goals in as many matches in March.

Behind Gutiérrez’s efforts, SKC sits atop the Western Conference (3-1-1, 10 points), while the club’s 10 goals ties for the most in the league. Gutiérrez has scored in four consecutive matches to help SKC to a four-game unbeaten streak.

Following a loss to New York City FC in the opening week, Gutiérrez rebounded with two goals in Sporting KC’s 4-3 victory at the Chicago Fire March 10. The Chile internatonal opened the match with a header in the ninth minute before scoring the game-winning goal in the 86th minute with a shot from the center of the box. A week later, Gutiérrez scored in the 68th minute in SKC’s 3-2 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes March at Children’s Mercy Park March 17.

Sporting KC finished with a 2-2 draw at the Colorado Rapids March 24 thanks to a Gutiérrez goal in the 57th minute from the middle of the box. Gutiérrez capped his month with a goal in the third minute of SKC’s 1-0 victory over D.C. United March 31. He leads the league with three game-winning goals.

Sporting Kansas City travels to face the LA Galaxy at StubHub Center on Sunday (9 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes).

MLS player of the month is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.