- Game One of the Finals saw the top two teams thrill us from buzzer to buzzer with Yaqeen winning with the slimmest of margins via Abdur-Rahim Manjra (1: Yaqeen vs 0: Haya).
- For those not familiar with a two game series what Haya needs to do is they must win game 2 to force a sudden death (5 on 5) overtime. If neither team scores in the extra session then we will determine the 2019 Fall I-slam Hockey Championship through a shootout, 3 shooters aside. If still tied after the three shooters we will move to a sudden death shootout until there is a clear winner. Yaqeen on the other hand just requires a tie (or better) to capture the I-slam cup at the conclusion of game 2.
- The status of Yaqeen’s goaltender Zak Bandisha has been confirmed and he has been ruled out of this series due to a concussion. The two general managers, Arsalan Mian (Yaqeen) and Luqman Arshad (Haya) and in the spirit of brotherhood and fair play have allowed Yaqeen to use Ridha’s goaltender Ahmad Mobin for the finals. Bandisha was involved in a car accident in the final week of the regular season and the up-and-coming net minder has not been cleared to play since.
- Game One of the finals as the score indicates was a tight affair with both teams trying to play more conservative and avoid getting burned by making unnecessary mistakes. Neither team was willing to concede even an inch and we had two unlikely combatants, Saqib Sheikh (Yaqeen) and Omar Essawi (Haya) engaged in a physical battle that saw both receiving off-setting penalties. You could just feel the intensity in the atmosphere! Eventually the lone break would go to Yaqeen as Abdur-Rahim Manjra was able to break free from the Haya coverage and score the game winner.
- Both teams had some of their depth players missing in game One. Rumours have it that Ommar Din will not be good to go for Haya in game two. This is a significant loss on the blue line. Haya is hopeful that Ali Haroon and Saleem Malik are physically cleared to rejoin the squad. On the Yaqeen front they are hoping to get back Sahil Mohammad, Samad Hamidi and Umair Ashraf back in the lineup.
- You know when one Malik makes the final it is like all Maliks make the finals. Yaqeen’s fill-in-goaltender Ahmad Mobin who was steady in game one will be in tough as he should expect the ‘Malik Army’ to do whatever they can to get in his head.
- Haya has yet to score a power-play goal for these playoffs. Last week they did not get a power-play opportunity. With Game Two also expected to be a tight affair generating offensive chances from the man advantage would be more than welcomed.
- Yaqeen’s defender Tayyab Kalair was getting teased by the senior members of his team following their game 1 victory. Some of the veterans felt he was making more mistakes than usual and were trying to figure out if it was related to the pressure of the finals or possibly being distracted by some volleyball players on the adjacent court. At the end of the day it was all in good fun and they expressed full confidence in Kalair heading into game 2.
- Yaqeen’s Erfan Bhanapatel played his guts out both figuratively and literally. He was a monster in the faceoff circle all night winning draw after draw. Post-game after leaving it all on the floor threw up in the change-room. Something teammate Umair Ashraf was infamous for doing a few seasons ago - although Ashraf attributed his situation to a poor pregame diet of samosas.
- Some Haya players noted the hustle of Omar Saadat in game 1. Saadat looks like he is that “energy guy” that gets the team pumped out on the floor.
- Haya seems to be very strategical with when Sufyaan Shaikh was on the floor. It appeared that they would make a change on the fly to try and get him matched up with Yaqeen’s 2nd line.
- In 2008, Naveed Mohammad helped Ihsan capture the very first I-Slam Championship:
This series has some interesting story-lines:
- These are the two top dogs in the league fighting it out for the championship
- We have a Hollywood showdown with two of the best (if not the best) players in the league Abdur-Rahm Manjra vs Sufyaan Shaikh
- Arslan Mian is looking to capture the I-Slam Championship with this being the third straight season in the finals
- Cousins Ahmad Mobin (Yaqeen’s Emergency Goaltender) and Omar Essawi battle it out in the finals for the second straight season. Essawi has the bragging rights from his summer championship. Ironically in that season Mobin’s team came into the finals as favourites and ended up losing. This post-season it is Essawi’s team that were pegged as favourites to win…
- Both Ali Haroon and Ommar Din of Haya were in attendance last Friday and you could see it was just killing them that they couldn’t be a part of the action. Hopefully Din heals up quickly and is ready to go for next season. Also we hope we can see Haroon suit up as he has received high praises from his teammates, in particular Sufyaan Shaikh.
- Last Friday we held a pickup session before game 1 of the finals. We had quite the turnout. There were some noteworthy performances. It was noted that Ibrahim Khan has the raw potential and skill to take his game to the next stages. Also people commented on Fahad Panchbhaya and how easy it is to mentor him.
- We will also be holding another pickup session this Friday before Game 2 of the Finals. Those who have confirmed through social media please aim to show up at 7:45 pm so we can get a good run in. It should be another quality session as guys like Khalid Mughal, someone who hasn’t played in the league in years is coming out this Friday to be part of the action.
- We also invite everyone to stick around and support the two teams in the finals and the subsequent awards ceremony. It should be a fun night! Here is the schedule for #ChampionshipFriday:
745 pm – 855 pm: Pickup
9:10 pm: Finals Game 2
After Finals: Awards Ceremony
- Lastly, if you haven’t registered for the upcoming season and are planning to play I would highly recommend for you to sign up (payment + filling out the registration form) ASAP as spots are filling up and are becoming very limited.
- Here is the confirmed list of GMs (inside brackets is their Salaam Cup Team) for the upcoming 2020 Winter Season:
1. Zuhair Kanji (Monks), Aadil Chohan (Green Army), Arif Khan (Greenbirds Masters)
2. Arslan Mian (Greenbirds), Humza Chaudhry (Greenbirds), Ijaz Chaudhry (Greenbirds Masters)
3. Dawood Ciombar (Monks), Riaz Lasania (Monks), Humza Ali (Green Army)
4. Luqman Arshad (Whitehawks), Akib Malik (Green Army), Sufyan Shaikh (Malton Knights)
5. Huzaifah Panchbhaya (Green Army), Abdul Rahim Manjra (Malton), Mohamed Kazi (Malton)
6. Yousuf Soliman (Green Army), Osama Soliman (Green Army), Gehad Alhundi (Green Army)
7. Zubair Wahid (Whitehawks), Arssal Shahabuddin (Outsiders), Salman Khalid (Saracens)
8. Farooq Khan (Greenbirds), Adil Patel (Monks), Muhammad Patel (Monks)
- If you have not had a chance to watch it yet, check out the new Player Profile Video of Aadil Chohan here which has been getting rave reviews. Some players in the East end who watched it were impressed and have indicated that they may want to participate in the next season so look for some new faces in the new year.
- The playoffs continue! December 13th and 20th will feature Game One and Game Two of the finals with the champion crowned on December 20th.
- Reminder that while Eye Protection is not mandatory this season it is strongly urged that all players ensure to protect themselves. There were some injuries last season where deflected balls hit players in the face and could have resulted in a serious injury to the eye. Please take the time to consider your own personal safety and wear the appropriate eye protection.
Follow us on Social Media!
- For those not familiar with a two game series what Haya needs to do is they must win game 2 to force a sudden death (5 on 5) overtime. If neither team scores in the extra session then we will determine the 2019 Fall I-slam Hockey Championship through a shootout, 3 shooters aside. If still tied after the three shooters we will move to a sudden death shootout until there is a clear winner. Yaqeen on the other hand just requires a tie (or better) to capture the I-slam cup at the conclusion of game 2.
- The status of Yaqeen’s goaltender Zak Bandisha has been confirmed and he has been ruled out of this series due to a concussion. The two general managers, Arsalan Mian (Yaqeen) and Luqman Arshad (Haya) and in the spirit of brotherhood and fair play have allowed Yaqeen to use Ridha’s goaltender Ahmad Mobin for the finals. Bandisha was involved in a car accident in the final week of the regular season and the up-and-coming net minder has not been cleared to play since.
- Game One of the finals as the score indicates was a tight affair with both teams trying to play more conservative and avoid getting burned by making unnecessary mistakes. Neither team was willing to concede even an inch and we had two unlikely combatants, Saqib Sheikh (Yaqeen) and Omar Essawi (Haya) engaged in a physical battle that saw both receiving off-setting penalties. You could just feel the intensity in the atmosphere! Eventually the lone break would go to Yaqeen as Abdur-Rahim Manjra was able to break free from the Haya coverage and score the game winner.
- Both teams had some of their depth players missing in game One. Rumours have it that Ommar Din will not be good to go for Haya in game two. This is a significant loss on the blue line. Haya is hopeful that Ali Haroon and Saleem Malik are physically cleared to rejoin the squad. On the Yaqeen front they are hoping to get back Sahil Mohammad, Samad Hamidi and Umair Ashraf back in the lineup.
- You know when one Malik makes the final it is like all Maliks make the finals. Yaqeen’s fill-in-goaltender Ahmad Mobin who was steady in game one will be in tough as he should expect the ‘Malik Army’ to do whatever they can to get in his head.
- Haya has yet to score a power-play goal for these playoffs. Last week they did not get a power-play opportunity. With Game Two also expected to be a tight affair generating offensive chances from the man advantage would be more than welcomed.
- Yaqeen’s defender Tayyab Kalair was getting teased by the senior members of his team following their game 1 victory. Some of the veterans felt he was making more mistakes than usual and were trying to figure out if it was related to the pressure of the finals or possibly being distracted by some volleyball players on the adjacent court. At the end of the day it was all in good fun and they expressed full confidence in Kalair heading into game 2.
- Yaqeen’s Erfan Bhanapatel played his guts out both figuratively and literally. He was a monster in the faceoff circle all night winning draw after draw. Post-game after leaving it all on the floor threw up in the change-room. Something teammate Umair Ashraf was infamous for doing a few seasons ago - although Ashraf attributed his situation to a poor pregame diet of samosas.
- Some Haya players noted the hustle of Omar Saadat in game 1. Saadat looks like he is that “energy guy” that gets the team pumped out on the floor.
- Haya seems to be very strategical with when Sufyaan Shaikh was on the floor. It appeared that they would make a change on the fly to try and get him matched up with Yaqeen’s 2nd line.
- In 2008, Naveed Mohammad helped Ihsan capture the very first I-Slam Championship:
… 11 years later he is looking to win the I-Slam Championship but this time with his son Sahil Mohammad by his side. This would be the first father-son combination to win a championship together!
Winning The I-Slam Championship is hard. Winning back-to-back is even harder! From the 2019 Summer I-Slam Champs- Haya only Ommar Din, Ali Haroon and Omar Essawi have the opportunity to run it back on #ChampionshipFriday
Winning The I-Slam Championship is hard. Winning back-to-back is even harder! From the 2019 Summer I-Slam Champs- Haya only Ommar Din, Ali Haroon and Omar Essawi have the opportunity to run it back on #ChampionshipFriday
This series has some interesting story-lines:
- These are the two top dogs in the league fighting it out for the championship
- We have a Hollywood showdown with two of the best (if not the best) players in the league Abdur-Rahm Manjra vs Sufyaan Shaikh
- Arslan Mian is looking to capture the I-Slam Championship with this being the third straight season in the finals
- Cousins Ahmad Mobin (Yaqeen’s Emergency Goaltender) and Omar Essawi battle it out in the finals for the second straight season. Essawi has the bragging rights from his summer championship. Ironically in that season Mobin’s team came into the finals as favourites and ended up losing. This post-season it is Essawi’s team that were pegged as favourites to win…
- Both Ali Haroon and Ommar Din of Haya were in attendance last Friday and you could see it was just killing them that they couldn’t be a part of the action. Hopefully Din heals up quickly and is ready to go for next season. Also we hope we can see Haroon suit up as he has received high praises from his teammates, in particular Sufyaan Shaikh.
- Last Friday we held a pickup session before game 1 of the finals. We had quite the turnout. There were some noteworthy performances. It was noted that Ibrahim Khan has the raw potential and skill to take his game to the next stages. Also people commented on Fahad Panchbhaya and how easy it is to mentor him.
- We will also be holding another pickup session this Friday before Game 2 of the Finals. Those who have confirmed through social media please aim to show up at 7:45 pm so we can get a good run in. It should be another quality session as guys like Khalid Mughal, someone who hasn’t played in the league in years is coming out this Friday to be part of the action.
- We also invite everyone to stick around and support the two teams in the finals and the subsequent awards ceremony. It should be a fun night! Here is the schedule for #ChampionshipFriday:
745 pm – 855 pm: Pickup
9:10 pm: Finals Game 2
After Finals: Awards Ceremony
- Lastly, if you haven’t registered for the upcoming season and are planning to play I would highly recommend for you to sign up (payment + filling out the registration form) ASAP as spots are filling up and are becoming very limited.
- Here is the confirmed list of GMs (inside brackets is their Salaam Cup Team) for the upcoming 2020 Winter Season:
1. Zuhair Kanji (Monks), Aadil Chohan (Green Army), Arif Khan (Greenbirds Masters)
2. Arslan Mian (Greenbirds), Humza Chaudhry (Greenbirds), Ijaz Chaudhry (Greenbirds Masters)
3. Dawood Ciombar (Monks), Riaz Lasania (Monks), Humza Ali (Green Army)
4. Luqman Arshad (Whitehawks), Akib Malik (Green Army), Sufyan Shaikh (Malton Knights)
5. Huzaifah Panchbhaya (Green Army), Abdul Rahim Manjra (Malton), Mohamed Kazi (Malton)
6. Yousuf Soliman (Green Army), Osama Soliman (Green Army), Gehad Alhundi (Green Army)
7. Zubair Wahid (Whitehawks), Arssal Shahabuddin (Outsiders), Salman Khalid (Saracens)
8. Farooq Khan (Greenbirds), Adil Patel (Monks), Muhammad Patel (Monks)
- If you have not had a chance to watch it yet, check out the new Player Profile Video of Aadil Chohan here which has been getting rave reviews. Some players in the East end who watched it were impressed and have indicated that they may want to participate in the next season so look for some new faces in the new year.
- The playoffs continue! December 13th and 20th will feature Game One and Game Two of the finals with the champion crowned on December 20th.
- Reminder that while Eye Protection is not mandatory this season it is strongly urged that all players ensure to protect themselves. There were some injuries last season where deflected balls hit players in the face and could have resulted in a serious injury to the eye. Please take the time to consider your own personal safety and wear the appropriate eye protection.
Follow us on Social Media!
