- Week 10 saw Emaan double up on Ikhlas 4-2; Sabr send a statement to Haya 3-0; and Yaqeen earn a playoff berth with a 2-1 win over Shukr
Format of the Playoff Games: If games are tied after the 2nd half, there will be a 5-minute sudden death over-time (5 v 5). If still tied there will be a shootout (3 shooters aside). If still tied the shootout will enter sudden death.
- Ikhlas misses out on the post season after a tumultuous run, their only two wins came over Yaqeen who edged them out for the final playoff spot. More was expected from this team but you cannot win games with the number of injuries and player absences that they had. Still a bitter pill for Ikhlas to swallow missing the playoffs as they lost their last four games where just one win would have put them into the post season.
- Haya managed to grab the 3rd seed but by a technicality more than anything as they tied with Shukr where the teams split the season series but by virtue of having more wins (five) than Shukr (four) they take the higher spot in the standings.
- Yaqeen has a tough path ahead of them, barely qualifying for the playoffs they will face Shukr with their full roster. To have any hope they need to play a tight checking game and stay out of penalty trouble.
- Shukr comes into their game favoured over Yaqeen and knowing that they have to balance their gameplan, build a lead and then rest players for their game against Sabr at 10pm. It's always a delicate balance but they have a deep enough roster and the hockey brains to make it happen.
- After scoring the game winner to send Yaqeen to the playoffs,
Jazib Khan was at the receiving end of many compliments from his teammates who praised his humble approach and hard working style.
Saad Khan referred to his teammate (not ironically wearing a Batman shirt) as "Not the hero Yaqeen deserved, but the one we needed"
- After their loss, some Shukr players tried to save face by saying that they were taking their final game easy and were okay with the loss as it meant they had to face Yaqeen who they felt was weaker than Ikhlas. A bizarre statement considering a win would have put Shukr into 3rd place and not have to play two games in the first night of the playoffs.
- Emaan will face a big test against Haya in the first round of the playoffs, reports indicate that they relish the challenge and after defeating Ikhlas (AKA Cambridge B) and playing a part in ending their season, Emaan is looking to defeat Haya (Cambridge A) and end their season as well.
Congratulations to the following award winners:
2017 Fall Goal Scoring Champion:
Furqan Salam (Haya) - 10 goals
2017 Fall Scoring (Overall Points) Champion:
Maaz Haq (Sabr) - 18 points
2017 Khalid Raheem Lowest GAA:
Fahad Mohammad (Sabr) - 0.60
Here are the nominees (in no particular order) for the rest of the awards (Note: GMs had the opportunity to provide supporting points to strengthen the case of their teammates):
Regular Season MVP (NHL equivalent: Hart Trophy):
1.
Waqar Khan (Haya): Although Waqar hasn't had the best season as per his own high standards, there is no doubting that when he is on the floor, he is a dominant force whether he is scoring or not. The ball is rarely in our defensive end when he is playing, which has given our defenseman tone of confidence and has eased the defensive burden. His leadership and good nature has inspired our young players and we definitely don't make the playoffs without him.
2.
Furqan Salam (Haya): Furqan has had a throwback season where he has led the league in goals. He has scored 10 of our 24 goals and if you add his assists, has been involved in half of our teams scoring. Without him, we still may have been competitive, but have lacked the finish that allowed us to win five games. Without him, I don't believe we'd make the playoffs.
3.
Yusuf Kapoor (Emaan): the most important position in the league. Humble, will fit into every team. makes the saves that need to be made. he has kept his team in every single game. made countless key saves when his team needed it most. Never has a negative thing to say. he was the key reason Emaan finished with very few goals allowed and 2nd in the league in the standings and calms the backend and initiates a lot of our offense.
4.
Umair Awan (Ikhlas): 80% + of our team’s goal He can play the entire game if we are short benched and we haven't won a game without him. He has scored in every game and is not selfish as can be seen by his assists. He is the MVP of the league this season.
5.
Sajid Khan (Ikhlas): silent killer, the points do not show the difference that he made on the floor.
6.
Nauman Abbasi (Shukr): he the best two way player and the heart and soul of the team; He Creates offensive chances, defends well and quarterbacks the power play; The heart and soul of the team
7.
Humza Ali (Shukr): Fastest guy in the league ; Great player maker and gritty
8.
Tahir Maarouf (Sabr): Another great guy. Hasn't racked up the points like Maaz, but his full end-to-end game is spectacular. Hustles, is super quick, super skilled and is the definition of a team player.
9.
Farrukh Khan (Yaqeen): Farrukh Khan great captain and a rock on defense.
10.
Maaz Haq (Sabr): Great kid. Is running away with the scoring race. Has scored highlight reel goals. Makes his teammates better. A fresh new face of the league that has lived up to the hype and then some. The reach, the dangles, the vision. Music plays when he has the ball.
Top Goaltender (NHL equivalent: Vezina Trophy):
1.
Kunain Saiyed (Haya): been a stalwart for us all season. He has held us in games we had no business being competitive In (week 2 versus Yaqeen where we had 6 subs and were outshot 30-10, yet the score was only 2-1 until he was pulled). If you remove his first 2 weeks goals against when we were missing our best players, his numbers are amongst the best in the league. When voting, please keep in mind save percentage. This hasn't been calculated or averaged out but can be easily done.
2.
Yusuf Kapoor (Emaan): -consistency -kept his team.in every game. has not let in a weak goal all season -humble, team motivator. reliable. maybe the fewest goals allowed in the league. - most of our games have been very low scoring games and his ability to make many timely saves allowed us to score the key goal to overcome many poor offensive games. he does not complain when the team lets him down. i have never heard him say a negative thing in the 10 games we have played this season. he is one of the smallest goalies in the league. but his skillset, positioning, hockey sense and his desire to never give up on any chance helps him beat any other goalie in the league.
3.
Ahmad Mobin (Yaqeen): Ahmad has always been reliable and a great teammate and when he is on top of his game he is the best goalie in the league.
4.
Khalid Mufti (Shukr): He’s pretty much kept us in every game especially when we’ve been short benched. We also have the oldest team and defense
5.
Fahad Mohammad (Sabr): Let in his first goal five games into his I-Slam career. Has five goals against total. Has not allowed more than two goals all season. 0.67 GAA and 946 save percentage. Big, athletic, poised and a great guy.
6.
Ahmed Jamal (Ikhlas): Struggled throughout the season with injury and still made an impact by doing whatever it took
Best Defense Man (NHL equivalent: James Norris Memorial Trophy):
1.
Rayhan Malik (Ikhlas): Solid all around performance, contributed on offence and defense
2.
Taha Azhar (Sabr): Taha Azhar - what a revelation on defense! Came back to I-Slam after a few years. Remembered him as a quick, grinder type forward from before. Switches to defense after his first game and wow. Super mobile d-man with boundless energy and great rushing instincts. A huge part of our team.
3.
Amer Khawaja (Sabr): has stepped up his intensity as the season has progressed. Big, smart, seasoned d-man with surprising mobility and great leadership qualities. Also has an underrated shot from the point.
4.
Junaid Mohammed (Haya): Junaid has used his experience and athleticism to lead our team from the back end. He has been on the floor for only 3 goals against all season in 7 games (of the 18 scored against us in those games). He has also scored 2 of our 5 game winning goals. He plays both the PP and PK and has been an amazing mentor to new defenders Jawad Majeed and Sahil Mohammed. Just by him being on the floor, those 2 are better, which is a tough stat to measure unless you've watched the games.
5.
Farrukh Khan (Yaqeen)
6.
Nazeer Gafoor (Emaan)
7.
Sadat Malik (Emaan)
8.
Samad Hamidi (Shukr)
Top Rookie (selected as the most proficient still in his first 3 seasons of I-slam Hockey):
1.
Jawad Majeed (Haya)- Jawad has been our utility knife this season and is perhaps one of the more underrated players in the league. He has played half on defense and half on offense. I ask how many beginner players have been asked to play both roles and have thrived? His stats won't jump out at you, but he makes all the plays you love as a GM, from cleanly clearing the zone to jumping into the rush and his backchecking is top notch. I love the idea of him simply being nominated for this award.
2.
Nazeer Gafoor (Emaan)- totally under rated Dman; solid D play game in and out; helped his team to the fewest goals allowed.
3.
AK (Ikhlas)- Defensively sound player
4.
Hannan Ghafoor (Ikhlas): Solid smart player that always made the right moves
5.
Ahmed Jamal (Ikhlas): Team player, always open to advice and learning, gave 100 percent every game
6.
Dawood Ciombar (Sabr): Good shot and leads our team in goals
7.
Umair Khan (Yaqeen): good listener and improves every game
8.
Wajahat Watsy (Sabr): dude has never played hockey before! Quick learner and even faster runner who does not back down. Rounds out a stellar defense, and is only going to get better.
9.
Tahir Maarouf (Sabr)
10.
Fahad Mohammad (Sabr)
11.
Maaz Haq (Sabr)
12.
Ibrahim Khan (Haya)
13.
Sahil Mohammad (Haya)
14.
Mustafa Shahbaz (Haya)
- I-Slam Hockey at RIS: In our efforts to grow the league we will have a booth at the upcoming
RIS conference. If you would like to help out with this initiative, please get a hold of Ahmad Ibrahim. Particularly we need help with putting together a powerpoint, manning the booth, and creating a banner. However whatever capacity you can assist we will gladly appreciate the help.
Next Season:
- Registration for the upcoming winter season opens today. Stay tuned for details!
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