Welcome to the 2018 I-Slam Hockey Spring Season Finals. With eight teams and two different conferences, this was the hardest season to win the I-Slam cup. Emerging out of the Mecca conference is Emaan. It is often said that first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo and they set the tone for what follows. Well for every rule there is an exception; after losing their first game of the season to Yaqeen 6-0, Emaan found a way to learn from their mistakes and give credit to them as they were able to figure things out. This team has really reflected this saying, “the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” Coming out of the Medina conference is Ridha. The consensus coming out of the draft was the gm pair of Mohammad Bilal and Shaukat Khan were the most offensively skilled. What people did not see coming was the point productions this season from Black Panther, Abdu Sharkawy and Shehryar Khan (all finishing top 5 in scoring). Credit to Bilal and Khan for getting the most out of these players and putting them in an environment to thrive.
How will these finals shake out? Offense, Ridha has a clear advantage. Not only did they score the most goals out of the eight teams during the season but also their opponents, Emaan has no one in the top ten in scoring. On the defensive side Ridha’s key cogs are Farrukh Khan, Shehryar Khan, and Shaukat Khan whom I would take over Emaan’s Mohammed Hamoud, Humza Hussain and Rayhan Malik. In net, Ali Khwaja (Ridha) has out-performed Kaunain Saiyed (Emaan) in all major goaltending categories throughout the year. So, with the better offense, the better defense and the stronger tender all signs point to Ridha being crowned the 2018 I-Slam Hockey champions. Not so fast! I am actually rolling with Emaan… The more cohesive team is Emaan and many of this group knows what it takes to conquer the summit (see here). During the season, Emaan torched Ridha for four goals back in February. Expect a tight battle between these two teams but when the pressure gets turned up, Emaan has been there and done that, making them better equip (in comparison to Ridha) to overcome any situation.
How will these finals shake out? Offense, Ridha has a clear advantage. Not only did they score the most goals out of the eight teams during the season but also their opponents, Emaan has no one in the top ten in scoring. On the defensive side Ridha’s key cogs are Farrukh Khan, Shehryar Khan, and Shaukat Khan whom I would take over Emaan’s Mohammed Hamoud, Humza Hussain and Rayhan Malik. In net, Ali Khwaja (Ridha) has out-performed Kaunain Saiyed (Emaan) in all major goaltending categories throughout the year. So, with the better offense, the better defense and the stronger tender all signs point to Ridha being crowned the 2018 I-Slam Hockey champions. Not so fast! I am actually rolling with Emaan… The more cohesive team is Emaan and many of this group knows what it takes to conquer the summit (see here). During the season, Emaan torched Ridha for four goals back in February. Expect a tight battle between these two teams but when the pressure gets turned up, Emaan has been there and done that, making them better equip (in comparison to Ridha) to overcome any situation.
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