Week Seven - October 31st

Ihsan vs Sabr

9PM-10PM

After last week, there seems like a massive distance between Sabr and Ihsan in the standings but on second look, it's only 2 points.

Still, Sabr suffered a tough 2-0 loss to Taqwa last week and seems to have run through a mess of injury issues. First it was Hani Soliman, who scored in his first two games and appeared to be a great fit on the second line, to succumb to the injury bug with a broken ankle. 

Last week, Yousuf Sowdagar dislocated his shoulder (for the umpteenth time) but looks like he's out for a bit. Absences have played another part but Sabr has played largely with less than 3 lines and sometimes only 2. Playing without depth is a losing strategy in a league where each team plays an uptempo game.

The team has commenced the waiver process to replace Hani with Nayu Akbar. There's hope that Nayu with his strong slapshot, can fill the void left by Hani on the second line as Shuaib Hussein and Saleem Malik have been unable to fit on that line.

While Sabr fell 2-0 last week, Ihsan pulled out a 2-0 win against Emaan. For a team that has allowed the most shots against per game, it was encouraging to see that Ihsan had finally taken as many shots as they had allowed last game.

Another massively encouraging sign for Ihsan was that the second line finally found the back of the net. With Yusuf Ingar scoring twice, the combination of Ingar, Ali Wadee and Omar Husain will be critical for the team to find continual success and out-possessing their opponents.

Player To Watch: Kaz Akbar has a league leading GAA and has generally given his team a chance to win, game in and game out.

Who's Hot: Omar Sabri has 8 points on the second, topping both teams in scoring.

Taqwa vs Emaan

10PM - 11PM

With their backs against the walls and sitting at the bottom of the standings, Taqwa pulled out a gritty win against Sabr. It was the type of tight checking game they don't typically like to play as it limits their offensive weapons. But by sitting back and playing a more defensive style, Taqwa was able to score on the PP and eek out an important victory.

But the urgency that Taqwa felt last week will be felt completely by Emaan who now sit on the bottom of the standings and are in desperate need of points. It's unclear whether Waqar Khan will be back in the lineup. While he doesn't wear the C, it's clear that Khan plays a major leadership role on the team. And Khan will need to spur some production out of his teammates, as 1 goal in 6 games out of both Arif Bijabhai and Ahmed Hathout combined is not going to cut it.

While Emaan players have been upset that their games are never considered an I-Slam Hockey Rivalry Game. Well, that's because no one hates them (which is a good thing, right?). But the Taqwa - Emaan matchups are becoming something of a rivalry, as the games between the two teams are always highly contested. The last game was an intense, back and forth, and entertaining 4-4 tie.

Player To Watch: Shaukat Khan came through with a major goal on the PP last week which stood as the game winner. He has that clutch ability.

Who's Hot: Sami Choudhry is on overdrive lately, with a whopping 6 points in his last two games. He'll need to be watched closely.