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.

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.