Tier Two Previews - Week Three - September 26th

Yaqeen vs Haya

Were those white shirts or white flags worn by Yaqeen last week? It was hard to hard to tell as they registered an abysmal performance in their season opener. The good news is that things should not get any worse. Look for GM Abbas Amarshi to plug the gaping holes on defense. Goaltender Saboor Mian will have to step things up if this game is to remain close. Likewise the offensive has to make an appearance. Captain Qamar Mian and 1^st round pick Taqi Ahmed must lead this ship. The anticipated debut of Aamir Haniff will aid the team greatly but will it be enough?

Surprisingly this team looks better in person than it does on paper. Coach K’s troops came to play on both ends of the floor and it appears things just may stay that for the season. The A-Team (Aazar Zafar, Ali Murtaza, and Arif Khan) is expected to wreak havoc in the Yaqeen zone but expect league MVP Waseem Bangash to continue unleashing his booming shots. With only four natural defenseman two forwards will need to be dropped below the blue line. Will they hold their ground or be exposed by the speedy Yaqeen forwards?

Player to Watch:
A former Tier-1 player, Aamir Haniff can quickly change the tempo on either ends of floor. We haven’t seen him in a while and it will be interesting to see if he has shaken off any rust.

Burning Question:

Yusuf Kapoor was solid in net last week but can he put up a repeat performance?

Who’s Hot
Would you believe Khalid Bhatti? The ageless wonder continues to laugh in Father Time’s face. He registered two helpers last week and chances are there are more to come.

Zuhd vs Shukr

I love you. You love me…. Sorry, but that’s not Barney behind those purple shirts. This is a team of gritty and bruising players. Anyone that extends mercy to these men will have it slapped back in their face. Zuhd may have lost their opener but don’t think for a minute that it will remain this way. Fahad Mallik is expected to return and lead his team on the floor. The debut of the relentless Abdu Sharkawy should also bolster an offense that only generated 7 shots on net. The dominating presence of Naeem Akhter will also help neutralize a Shukr team that has no shortage of size. Rizwan Ali was solid between the pipes keeping his team alive and much of the same will be expected. Expect Huzaifah Manjra and Faisal Mehboob to wake up from their slumber and tear into the Shukr defense.

The GM trio of Firasath Ali, Ahmad "The Mountain" Ibrahim, and Mohammad Hamoud may have been the lowest ranked talented GM trio but yet again they have proven that they are geniuses at making teams. Shukr looked brilliant top to bottom in their shellacking of Yaqeen. Saqib Khokhar, Tariq Hathout, and Talib Contractor make up the core of speedy forwards that can leave the opposition defense with migraines. Waseem Kalair and Ozair Naveed were virtually impenetrable from the blue line and were key to Shukr’s transition game. Will they be good enough to keep Zuhd at bay? Expect Sadiq Rehman to put down the TV remote control. Unlike last week he won’t have any time to spectate in this game and will be required to be on full alert.

Player to Watch:
He may have banished himself from Tier-1 but the ball handling skills of  Fahad Mallik just can’t be ignored. He has the talent to go end to end or set up plays. His presence will be immediately felt on the floor.

Burning Question:

Just about every rookie on Shukr registered a point. Was this just beginner’s luck or is there be more to come from these newcomers?

Who’s Hot
None other than Captain Mohammad Hamoud. The gentle giant was on a tear last week. He registered three points and left two Yaqeen forwards squirming in pain on the floor. Expect him to dish out more pain.