Fall Season - Week Ten - December 9th

Ihsan vs Shukr:
Ihsan carries a two game win streak into their rematch from October 28th with Shukr that saw them come away with the victory.  Ihsan has quite a considerable cushion on top of the standings which sees them separated by three points from Emaan.  So far this season Ihsan has been the class of the league. They are getting it done in every facet of the game and as such they are putting forth a complete team effort in most weeks.  Looking at the individual stats for the Ihsan players they do not have a single player in the top five in scoring.  As a matter of fact Hany Soliman is their lone representative in the Top Ten!  On the defensive side of the ball they have given up the fewest shots and benefiting from this is Zaid Majoo, who is tied for the most shut-outs.  With all of that said, Yousuf Soliman is the driving force for this team.  His numbers might not be impressive but he is probably the most complete two-way player in the league and should garner MVP considerations.  Tonight he hopes to lead his team to another victory and move closer to clinching first overall.  For Shukr they come into this game with one thing in mind, PLAYOFFS!  After their clutch win last week against Haya they clinched a playoff spot.  Now they look to finish as high in the standings as possible and look to work out the kinks in their game.  Shukr supporters must be encouraged by last week’s results that they team can win even if Arif Bijabhai and Idris Deen don’t score.   Tonight they aim to prove they can compete with teams in the upper echelon of the standings.

Emaan vs Ikhlas:
Last time these teams met, Emaan took down Ikhlas to a score of 5-1.  Ikhlas is in a tight battle with Sabr, whom they have a one-point advantage in the standings.  In a strange twist of fate both Sabr and Ikhlas have identical schedules.  Each facing Emaan, having a bye and squaring off against each other to end the season.  Perhaps today might be the better week to face off Emaan as their Top Two and league leading scorers in Waqar Khan and Zaid Toorawa are unavailable. With the bulk of their points suddenly gone from their lineup Emaan the goals must come from somewhere.  So expect Furqan Salam, Umair Awan and Jibran Salam to take on this responsibility.  Ikhlas will also have some key pieces missing as Shehryar Khan and Zayd Agjee are both unavailable.  Shehryar Khan is pretty much the Ikhlas offense but with him gone and considering what is at stake someone else will need to step up.  Farooq Sani has a flair for the dramatics and lives for these moments.  It would be a safe bet that he would factor in this game somehow.  No word who will be in net for Ikhlas. As per league policy since they have already used a backup goalie twice this season, so they can only recall Sheraz Mahmood. Or maybe they throw a curve ball and we get to see Usamah Rao go back in net.  This game also has some significance for Emaan as they try to make one last push in over-taking Ihsan in the standings to grab first place.

Haya vs Yaqeen:
Haya and Yaqeen get a first look at each other tonight. Yaqeen is coming off an impressive beat-down of Ikhlas last week whereas Haya suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Shukr in the last minute. Both of these teams can still finish first or second overall and more importantly by-pass the quarterfinals and punch their ticket to the semi-finals.  Most probably the loser of this game throws away any realistic chance for a first round bye.  On the other hand, the winner still can keep their hopes alive of trying to surpass either Emaan or Ihsan in the standings. This game will go a long way in determining each team’s road to the championship. In such a high-pressure game you rely on your goaltender to help steal a win for you. Yaqeen’s Yusuf Kapoor who now shares the lead in shutouts will first need to make sure he comes on time and in addition needs to out-duel his counter-part Khalid Mufti, who has faced more shots per game compared to the other goaltenders.