Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Five

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	4-1-0		Sabr had the shine taken off their amazing start in Week Five as not only did they surrender their first goal against but also took their first loss of the season.  They are still in first place and face struggling Shukr this week.
2	Haya	3-2-0		Haya showed that with their full roster they are a force as they handed Sabr a 2-1 defeat.  The win moves Haya into a tie for second place and just two points out of first.  They face Emaan in Week Six in a battle to get a grip on a top-two seed in the standings.
3	Emaan	2-1-2		Emaan laid a 7-0 beating on Ikhlas in Week Five.  Their offense  was clicking despite missing Farooq Sani as their speed exploited the slower Ikhlas defenders and keeps Emaan in a tie for second.
4	Shukr	1-2-2		Shukr dominated much of their game against Yaqeen but were unable to get the win which has to be a disappointment.  The team has flashed signs of dominance this season but hasn't been able to put it all together.  A match-up against Sabr in Week Six gives them a chance to show that they are the real deal.
5	Yaqeen	1-2-2		Yaqeen salvaged a 1-1 tie against Shukr in Week Five in a game where they were on their heels the majority of the time.  Their offense has struggled and needs to turn it around if they want to hold onto the final playoff spot.
6	Ikhlas	1-4-0		Ikhlas was on the wrong end of a 7-0 loss to Emaan last week.  They have the most goals against and have been dominated in their last four games.  This week they face the only team they have been able to beat as they square up against Yaqeen.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Four

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	4-0-0		Sabr demolished Yaqeen with a 6-0 win to remain undefeated for the season.  They have the most goals scored and have yet to allow a goal to be scored upon them.  Rookie Maaz Haq leads the league in scoring and Fahad Mohammad looks like a rock between the pipes.
2	Haya	2-2-0		Haya won the battle of Cambridge last week and with their full roster starting to show up they are proving to be a contender this season.  Furqan Salam has stepped up to lead this team during Waqar Khan's early season struggles.
3	Emaan	1-1-2		Emaan found themselves down early against Shukr but showed great heart to battle back and salvage a 2-2 tie.  They are facing last place Ikhlas this week and need a win to keep pace for a top-two finish.
4	Shukr	1-1-2		Shukr looked impressive early in their game against Emaan last week but a pair of late Emaan goals resulted in a tie.  They face struggling Yaqeen this week and will be favoured to get the win.
5	Yaqeen	1-2-1		Yaqeen was missing some players in their game against Sabr last week but the result was a beating that they could not have anticipated.  Their offense is the worst in the league right now and their team defense looked a shambles.  They need to turn things around quickly as they cling to the final playoff spot right now.
6	Ikhlas	1-3-0		Ikhlas did not fare well in the much publicized battle of Cambridge last week.  They were down 4-0 early in the second half and ended in a 6-2 rout where their only offense was generated on the powerplay.  They currently have the most goals against in the league as their thin defense has been exposed over the past two weeks so perhaps a trade is in order to balance the roster better.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Three

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	3-0-0		Sabr demolished Ikhlas with a 5-0 win to remain undefeated for the season.  They have the most goals scored and have yet to allow a goal to be scored upon them.  Rookie Maaz Haq leads the league in scoring and Fahad Mohammad looks like a rock between the pipes.
2	Emaan	1-1-1		Emaan ended in a 0-0 tie last week but looked dominant in stretches.  Yusuf Kapoor turned away any chances in front of him and just a lack of finish prevented Emaan from getting the win.
3	Shukr	1-2-0		Shukr got off to a bad start against Haya and found themselves down 2-0 early before battling back to make it a 2-1 game but the heroics of Kaunain Saiyed robbed Shukr of a likely win as he made 26 saves.  Shukr looked solid offensively generating shots and pushing the ball up as their strategy evolved over the game to pull apart Haya's defense.
4	Haya	1-2-0		Haya moves up the rankings with the return of some of their stars.  They got the win in Week Three but it had nothing to do with their AWOL players but rather the great play of goalie Kaunain Saiyed who turned away 26 of 27 shots to get his team the win.
5	Yaqeen	1-1-1		Yaqeen was able to grind out a 0-0 tie with Emaan in Week Three.  Ahmad Mobin made sure that his team came away with something from this game as he kicked out 23 shots to preserve the tie.  Yaqeen needs to get something offensively from their top line who are generating chances but have not been able to finish many of them.
6	Ikhlas	1-2-0		Ikhlas has come crashing down the rankings after being at the top at the end of Week One.  They went from a blowout win over Yaqeen to start the season to losing their last two games by a combined 9-1 total.  They have looked disjointed in their team defense and more is expected from this squad - they have a big game against rivals Haya in Week Four so we know the intensity will be there.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Two

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	2-0-0		Sabr seems to have a great balance on their squad with stifling defense and quick forwards looking to burn opponents on the counter attack.  Maz Haq is proving to have been worth the gamble as he is settling in on the teams top line and putting up points.  Their  D has been strong and Fahad Mohammed has been strong in goal as the team has shutout wins in their first two games.
2	Shukr	1-1-0		Shukr bounced back in Week Two and looked strong with a 4-1 win.  Their veterans made the in-game adjustments needed when Ikhlas came out strong and pulled their opponents apart for a 4-1 win.  A game against last place Haya is up next as Shukr looks to keep pace with Sabr for 1st place.
3	Ikhlas	1-1-0		Ikhlas destroyed Yaqeen in Week One and their game against Shukr in Week Two saw them dominate early with a load of shots but they were unable to convert the pressure into a goal and ended up being exposed by the veterans in a 4-1 loss.  Week Three sees them face a tough challenge against 1st Place Sabr who have yet to concede a goal so it will be interesting to see how Ikhlas and their offense first approach do against Sabr's defense first approach.
4	Emaan	1-1-0		Emaan rolled over Haya in Week One only to hit a wall against Sabr in Week Two.  They get to face inconsistent Yaqeen in Week Three with both teams trying to get the upper hand in a playoff position early in the season.
5	Yaqeen	1-1-0		Yaqeen was demolished in Week One and while they got the win in Week Two it was against Haya who barely had two lines and were missing most of their top players.  The team was drafted with balance but they haven't demonstrated that yet so a big test against Emaan will show where this team is heading.
6	Haya	0-2-0		Haya is in the basement, an unfamiliar place for "Cambridge One" but that's what happens when players don't show up.  Full credit to the team that has come out as they held Yaqeen in check for most of the game last week and showed great resilience.  It will be interesting to see how the team performs when they actually get their top line to show up.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week One

2017 FallSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Ikhlas	1-0-0		Ikhlas came into the Season with many questions about the balance of the team as GM Wakaas Khan opted to focus on Forwards rather than picking up and D.  His approach of the best defense is a good offense seemed to pay off in Week One as they put up six goals against Yaqeen and their goalie Ahmad Mobin.  Wakaas Khan put up five points in this one but it was the performance of Umair Awan that broke this game open as his relentless pursuit of the ball and big shot as he finished with three goals and an assist.  Ikhlas gets a big test with Shukr in Week Two.
2	Sabr	1-0-0		Sabr grinded out a 1-0 win against Shukr in Week One, they received a strong effort from Maaz Haq in his debut.  Their squad looks balanced and strong so expect big things from them this season.  Sabr faces Emaan next week so expect a fun game with lots of speed on both sides.
3	Emaan	1-0-0		Emaan roared to a dominant 5-1 win over Haya in Week One.  A bit of the shine is taken from the win considering Haya was missing some of their top players.  That said Emaan showed their speed as they broke out quickly for scoring opportunities.  A tougher matchup against Sabr is in front of them for Week Two so a chance for observers to get a better look at this squad.
4	Shukr	0-1-0		Shukr took a 1-0 loss against Sabr in Week One but this squad showed that they have all the tools to make a big run.  We all expected them to be organized considering the experience that they have and a meeting against Ikhlas in Week Two gives them a chance to demonstrate how effective game strategy can shut down opposing offenses.
5	Haya	0-1-0		Haya got roughed up in Week One by Emaan  but considering they were missing four players which included their top forward Waqar Khan and top defenseman Salman Khalid it was always going to be a tough game.  They face Yaqeen in Week Two who also lost big so both teams will be looking to rebound.
6	Yaqeen	0-1-0		Yaqeen came into this game with the expectation that this balanced squad would be able to compete for every game - Week One was anything but that.  A flying start on the first shift of the game saw them jump out to a 1-0 lead but Yaqeen's top line was too much and the result was a 6-2 blowout loss.  Yaqeen gets a chance to get on track with a matchup against Haya in Week Two who also suffered a lopsided loss in the opening week of the season.

Power Rankings - Spring Season - Week Nine

2017 SPRING SEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Emaan	7-1-2		Emaan defeated Sabr in Week Eight to seal first place in the regular season.  They've been at the top of the table since early in the season and despite some inconsistent play have always done enough to get the job done.  They will enter the playoffs waiting for the winner of the Wildcard game earlier in the night to determine their opponent.  If it is Haya they swept the season series winning both meetings; if it is Ihsan than they face a team who they tied twice this season and were unable to defeat last season where the cores of both teams were relatively the same.
2	Sabr	6-3-1		Sabr came up short against Emaan in their regular season finale, losing 3-1 which kept them in second place for the regular season and a match-up against Taqwa in the playoffs.  Sabr boasts the best offense in the league and second best defense so they have positioned themselves well for a deep playoff run.
3	Taqwa	5-4-1		Taqwa went into their season finale playing a double header with the knowledge that winning one of the two games would lock up the third seed and game one was against Haya who decided to rest key players - the result was a slaughter where Taqwa led 7-1 after the first half and coasted to a 9-3 win.  Their second game against Ihsan didn't matter to where the team finished in the standings having already clinched third so an obvious letdown resulted in a 3-1 loss.  They enter the playoffs facing Sabr with a chance to get to the finals.
4	Ihsan	4-4-2		Ihsan entered the night in fourth place with two games on the slate, first against winless Yaqeen and then Taqwa who they were chasing for third.  The night came to a crashing halt as with their sights set on the second game Ihsan was caught offguard by Yaqeen who roared out to a 3-0 lead and held on for a 4-1 win essentially ending the teams hope for a higher seed.  That said they regrouped before their second game and came out with more passion against Taqwa and earned a 3-1 win to end their season on a high note.  Now they move into the playoffs in the wildcard game against Haya, the teams split their two regular season meetings and the winner will get an hour to rest before playing first place Emaan.  Ihsan would feel confident with that Semi-Final match-up considering they have not lost to Emaan in their past four meetings but they need to get by Haya first.
5	Haya	2-6-2		Haya clinched the final playoff spot last week so their finale against Taqwa was nothing more than a tune-up for the playoffs.  The team was missing regular goalie Khalid Mufti and chose to rest some of their veterans - the result was not what they would have expected.  Unable to get a replacement goalie they put one of their defenseman in goal with little success as they were losing 4-0 just seven minutes into the game and down 7-1 at half.  The game ended in a 9-3 hammering.  Not the best way to enter the playoffs but they knew this would be a tough game to play while missing players.  The sour ending to the regular season aside, Haya faces Ihsan in the Wildcard game with a chance to make the Semi-Finals at stake so expect them to bounce back from this debacle with a solid effort.
6	Yaqeen	1-7-2		Yaqeen entered the last week of the regular season looking for their first win and facing last seasons champions Ihsan who seemed to come into this game assuming it was going to be a cakewalk.  Yaqeen was playing without their regular goalie and were forced to put Tanseer Khawaja in net while also only having three subs on the bench.  What happened in this game seemed to be a script for a Disney movie as Yaqeen held their ground and took an unlikely 3-0 lead into halftime.  A late goal from Ihsan ruined the storybook ending of a shutout win, but Yaqeen got a 4-1 win, their first of the season.  They are still eliminated from the post season but at least end their season on a positive note.

Power Rankings - Spring Season - Week Eight

2017 SPRING SEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Emaan	6-1-2		Emaan worked for a 3-1 win over Haya which keeps them in first by just a point over red-hot Sabr.  They haven't dominated games but have done enough to get the win.  Their finale of the season is against Sabr in a battle for first place so lots at stake right down to the end of the season.
2	Sabr	6-2-1		Sabr beat up a shorthanded Ihsan for a 4-0 win where Ihsan was without two of their top players and had to put one of their defensemen in net so this game was theirs to lose.  That said their top players performed as Saleem Malik and Dawood Ciombar each put up three points.  Some observers were unimpressed with Sabr scoring with 12 seconds left in a game that was clearly over as Ihsan was gassed with a short bench.
3	Taqwa	4-3-1		Taqwa was a bit short benched but worked for a 2-2 tie against a desperate Yaqeen.  The tie puts them into third place, a point up on Ihsan.  Week Nine will have Taqwa play two games including the last game of the night against Ihsan in a likely battle for third place.
4	Ihsan	3-3-2		Ihsan dropped their second game in a row, this time by a score of 4-0 and combined 9-1 over the past two.  Short benches and foolish penalties are becoming too frequent for the defending champions but they have clinched a playoff spot and with two games on the schedule in Week Nine they have a chance to grab third place going into the playoffs.
5	Haya	2-5-2		Haya started their Week Eight double header with a 3-1 loss to Emaan before going into a critical game against Yaqeen which they won 3-2.  It wasn't pretty but they did just enough to win and clinch the final playoff spot.
6	Yaqeen	0-7-2		Yaqeen started their Week Eight double header with a 2-2 tie against Taqwa and knew that a win would put them into a tie for fifth place.  Alas it was not to be as despite some great efforts they were not able to get the win - or even a tie - against Haya which eliminates them from the post season.  An unexpected result for this team that was in the finals last season but attendance issues and a number of bad breaks cost them points early in the season and has them without a win this season.  Something that they hope to correct with their last game of the season.