Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Eight

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	6-2-0		Sabr bounced back with a win over Ikhlas after a strong second half.  This despite the team resting some of their key players as the playoffs approach.  They are battling to hold onto first place and have an easy game this week against last place Yaqeen before a big game against Haya to finish the regular season.
2	Emaan	5-1-2		Emaan laid a beating on Yaqeen by a 5-0 score.  They were on their heels for most of the first period and were outplayed in stretches but got a great performance from Yusuf Kapoor and ended up coasting to an easy win.  They face Shukr this week in a possible preview of the first round of the playoffs.
3	Haya	4-4-0		Haya was missing some of their key players last week against Shukr and ended up losing the game with their thin defense being exposed along with some penalty issues that led to two powerplay goals by Shukr.  This week sees the battle of Cambridge renewed where Haya will look to sweep the season series over Ikhlas.
4	Shukr	3-3-2		Shukr managed a 4-3 win over Haya last week for their second win in the past two weeks; this has pushed them into a great position to lock up the final playoff spot as they are heating up at the right time.  That said there are some hurdles with some player absences and injuries over the remaining games.  A tough test against Emaan is up next as Shukr aims to show that they can compete with the top teams this season.
5	Ikhlas	2-6-0		Ikhlas came out with some energy against Sabr last week but could not maintain a high level of play as they eventually lost 5-2.  They get a tough match-up with Haya this week as the battle of Cambridge returns.  Haya won the first match-up and Ikhlas will be eager to even the season series and get some momentum before the playoffs.
6	Yaqeen	1-5-2		Yaqeen had one of their better efforts last week, getting lots of shots on net but their offense was not able to get anything past Yusuf Kapoor and ended up on the wrong end of a 5-0 score.  Yaqeen will face first place Sabr this week in a game where they hope to do better than the 6-0 thrashing they endured the first time the teams met.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Seven

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	5-2-0		Sabr were surprised by Emaan last week in a 2-0 loss.  Sabr is still viewed as one of the top teams and a game against desperate Ikhlas will be a test to see if they can right the ship.
2	Emaan	4-1-2		Another week and another statement win from Emaan.  In their last two wins they have taken out Haya and Sabr - putting the league on notice that they are a great team.  This week they face last place Yaqeen where a win locks up a playoff spot and keeps them in the hunt for the first seed.
3	Haya	4-3-0		Haya was nervous against Yaqeen at the start of the game as their goalie was stuck in traffic but tightened up and only gave up a single goal, some penalty trouble ensured but they handled that and managed to grind out a 4-1 win to keep pace near the top of the standings.
4	Shukr	2-3-2		Shukr faced a short benched Ikhlas and the result was a 5-0 beating.  They have all the tools and leadership to succeed so it has shocked many observers that the team has struggled so much this season.  They get a test against Haya this week where a win keeps them in the top four in the standings.
5	Ikhlas	2-5-0		Ikhlas came off a huge win over Yaqeen to showing up against Shukr with a short bench and the result was a blowout loss.  Their team is in some peril right now as injuries and absent players are hurting their playoff chances.
6	Yaqeen	1-4-2		Yaqeen came in against Haya hoping to repeat the result the last time they met - which was Yaqeen getting their only win of the season.  They even had the advantage of playing on an empty net as the Haya goalie was stuck on the highway but they only managed a goal and then did not take advantage of a few powerplay chances which gave Haya momentum to press and come away with a 4-1 win.  They face red-hot Emaan this week in a game where they are desperate for even a point to get back into a playoff spot.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Six

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	5-1-0		Sabr bounced back after a disappointing loss to Haya in Week Five to grind out a 2-0 win over Shukr in Week Six.  They went back to the syle we have become accustomed to, choking opposing teams offense and pulling teams apart for their own offensive changes.  They've also shown great balance as Umer Buksh stepped up with a pair of goals to lead his teams offense.
2	Emaan	3-1-2		In a key match-up, Emaan potted a late winner to defeat Haya and get a firm grasp on second place.  They have an outside shot at jumping into first place if they can pull out a win this week against Sabr.
3	Haya	3-3-0		A roller coaster couple of weeks for Haya as they went from defeating Sabr to dropping a critical game against Emaan.  They get an easy game against Yaqeen this week before a tougher match-up against Shukr.  They are sitting in 3rd place but need to improve consistency down the stretch.
4	Shukr	1-3-2		Shukr were overmatched against Sabr last week, missing some players they were not able to generate their usual offensive pressure and the result was a 2-0 loss.  They face Ikhlas this week in a key game as both teams battle for a playoff spot.
5	Ikhlas	2-4-0		Ikhlas won a critical game in Week Five over Yaqeen which puts them into a tie for the final playoff spot.  A loss would have created a huge mountain to climb in the final four games.  This week they face a struggling Shukr squad who hasn't won since these teams met back in Week Two.  A win suddenly vaults Ikhlas into 4th so expect them to be amped up for this one.
6	Yaqeen	1-3-2		Yaqeen knew that a win last week over Ikhlas would have put them into a great position to grab the final playoff spot.  Their effort against Ikhlas was a bit lacking as defensive breakdowns let Ikhlas build an early lead and not generating enough offense left them unable to make a real game of it.  The only positive is that their powerplay looked strong going 2/2.  A tough game against Haya is up next where Yaqeen is desperate for a win.