Sept. 28, 2011

By Brian Davis, Assistant Media Relations Director

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Call it something of a sweep of the available major women's soccer awards for Tennessee junior Alexis Owens as the 5-6 forward has now added selections as the UT's program first-ever Soccer America Women's National Player of the Week and as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Disney National Soccer Player of the Week to a sterling list of accolades following her hat trick effort last Sunday in the 4-2 win over #6 Florida.

The Carmel, Ind., native had already been honored this week as a part of Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week, as one of CollegeSoccer360.com's National Primetime Performers of the Week and as the Southeastern Conference's Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

For her selection as the NSCAA/Disney National Soccer Player of the Week, Owens will be recognized on FOX Soccer Channel's live broadcast of the North Carolina-Duke men's soccer match on Fri., Sept. 30.

Last Sunday afternoon during a high-profile match versus #6 Florida at the Regal Soccer Stadium, Owens recorded only the 10th hat trick in the history of the Lady Vol soccer program in helping lead Tennessee to a 4-2 victory over the Gators in a SEC Eastern Division showdown. The occurrence marked the first time a UT player had scored three goals in a single match since Kayla Lockaby turned the feat back on Sept. 8, 2002, during a 6-1 victory over Murray State.

In her very first start of the 2011 campaign, she successfully finished all three shots she took in the match-up, getting things started just 4:05 in by beating UF keeper Taylor Burke from 10 yards. That goal marked the third time this season that Tennessee had scored on its very first shot of a match. Owens won a one-on-one battle with a Gator defender at 35:48, taking the ball into the box and sliding it past Burke for the eventual match-winner to improve the Big Orange advantage to a staggering 3-0. That also marked the first time in the history of the series between the two programs that the Lady Vols had registered three goals in a match versus Florida. With the Gators having cut the deficit to just 3-2 late in the match, Owens sealed the triumph at 85:11 by taking a feed from Brown and blasting home a drive from six yards out to complete the hat trick.

Owens and the Big Orange go back out on the road this weekend, heading to LSU (Sept. 30 - 7 p.m. CT) and Arkansas (Oct. 2 - 1 p.m. CT) to continue the league schedule.