Power Rankings - Spring Season - Week Four

2017 SPRING SEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	3-1-0		Sabr went into their game against Shukr last week and showed that they are the team to beat this season.  A strong defensive effort shut down Shukr's league leading offense and a great goal generated by their two stars got them the win.  They move on to face last place Ikhlas with an eye on solidifying their place at the top of the table.
2	Yaqeen	2-1-1		Yaqeen played a great game against Haya despite missing some of their key players and had the lead going into the final minutes but penalty trouble resulted in them walking away with a tie instead of the win.  Emmad Khawaja continues to lead this team with endless hustle and Yaqeen looks to their Week Five game against struggling Ridha as an opportunity to take hold of first place in the Mecca Conference.
3	Shukr	2-1-1		Shukr went into their Week Four game at the top of the table but a poor performance saw them drop the game, drop out of first place and drop off many pundits list of elite teams.  After scraping by shortbenched Emaan the week before more was expected but their offense failed to produce anything against Sabr.  Shukr moves onto a tough game against veteran Haya who have been playing well of late.
4	Haya	2-1-1		Haya continues to roll along and while they came away with a tie in their Week Four game, are undefeated in their last three games.  They were down early to Yaqeen but continued to push hard and it was their superstar Farooq Sani who created the equalizer.  The team has showed good chemistry and a game against Shukr is up next with a chance to jump further up in the standings.
5	Ihsan	2-2-0		Ihsan has been battered by injuries but has shown great resolve to compete in games.  Last week they defeated Ikhlas 3-0 where Tayyab Kalair broke out for a pair of goals to lead his team.  Ihsan still has injury issues to deal with so they cannot take anything for granted as they face Emaan next week.
6	Emaan	2-2-0		Emaan shocked many last week with a strong balanced game against Ridha where they found themselves in a 3-3 tie in the final minute - but that wasn't enough and they stunningly turned a faceoff deep in their own zone into a partial breakaway and goal from Osama Soliman.  The team showed resolve in a loss to Shukr and even greater heart against Ridha.  A tough game against a resurgent Ihsan is up next.
7	Ridha	1-3-0		After a hot start to open the season with a blowout win, Ridha has been cold since with three straight losses.  The team has had attendance issues with key players missing but the rest of their squad needs to step up as right now Ridha is shockingly in fourth place in the Medina Conference and outside of a playoff spot.
8	Ikhlas	0-3-1		Another week and another surprising loss from Ikhlas.  A squad as talented as this one continues to shock observers with losses piling up.  They have the leagues lowest scoring offense with just three goals in four games and have been shutout in back to back games.  Their next chance to get their first win of the season has them facing first place Sabr so a great challenge but this team is bound to turn things around at some point.

Power Rankings - Spring Season - Week Three

2017 SPRING SEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Shukr	2-0-1		Shukr stays at the top but were unimpressive in theri 3-1 win over Emaan last week considering their opponent had only two subs.  Emaan played a very defensive game which made it difficult to generate offense but observers were expecting a blowout so Shukr takes a hit for not delivering.  A big test against a strong Sabr squad is up next and a better measure for this team.
2	Yaqeen	2-1-0		Yaqeen played a complete game to grind out a 2-0 win over Ikhlas.  They took an early lead and suffocated the Ikhlas offense the rest of the way not allowing them much space to create.  A cross divisional game against veteran Haya is up next.
3	Sabr	2-1-0		Sabr pulled out a key win over shorthanded Ridha in Week Three, Ridha may have been missing some of their top players but Sabr built up an early lead and despite a pair of late goals from Ridha they did not panic and sealed the win with an empty netter from their third line.
4	Haya	2-1-0		Haya pulled out a big win over Ihsan in Week Three but must feel a bit concerned about how the win played out.  A dominant first half saw them leading 4-0 only to have Ihsan score three straight goals in the second to make the win a lot closer than they wanted.  A tough test against Yaqeen is up next.
5	Ridha	1-2-0		Ridha has struggled in their past two games and no coincidence that Shaukat Khan was away for both losses.  The team needs him along with their other top players in the lineup to have a chance.  That said they have been getting good performances from Abdu Sharkawy and Ahmad Ibrahim who are the teams top two scorers.  A game against struggling Emaan is up next along with a chance to get back into the win column.
6	Ihsan	1-2-0		Ihsan may have lost their game last week to Haya but showed some great effort in the second half to turn what seemed to be a Haya blowout into a one-goal loss.  The team has been ravaged by injuries which is what has hurt their chances to be higher in the standings this season.  They face last place Ikhlas in Week Four so a chance for them to even their record.
7	Emaan	1-2-0		Emaan dropped their game last week against Shukr but put out a great effort considering they only had two subs.  A tight defensive game was the strategy and for the most part it worked as they kept the game bottled up but a chance to tie the game with a penalty shot was missed and an empty netter sealed their fate.  A game against injury riddled Ihsan is up next.
8	Ikhlas	0-2-1		Ikhlas dropped another game, this time losing to Yaqeen 2-0.  They solved their issues from the first two games of the season as they only took one penalty but their offense was not able to get on the same page as Yaqeen took an early lead and settled back into a defensive position to hold it the rest of the way.  Ikhlas is a talented team so only a matter of time before they turn things around.

Power Rankings - Spring Season - Week Two

2017 SPRING SEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Shukr	1-0-1		Shukr surprised Yaqeen last week and escaped with a 3-1 win.  Teams have been keying in on Maaz Haq to start the season and so far he hasn't found the back of the net but Shukr has been getting great support from all three lines they put out there which has been the key for their early success this season.
2	Yaqeen	1-1-0		Yaqeen dominated stretches of their game against Shukr last week but little mistakes came back to haunt them.  Their forwards are strong and deep so look for them to quickly bounce back against Ikhlas in Week Three.
3	Ihsan	1-1-0		Ihsan defeated rival Ridha in Week Two with a gutsy effort with multiple players injured and a short bench.  Without star goalie Ahmad Mobin and top forward Humza Chaudhry in particular things looked down but a great effort from the rest of the team saw Ihsan take the win.  They face Haya in Week Three how had a solid win over Sabr last week.
4	Ridha	1-1-0		Ridha looked unstoppable in Week One but Shaukat Khan was not available and their offense seemed to be limited without him.  Mohammad Bilal created a number of chances but wasn't able to click with his linemates and the result was a 1-0 loss against rivals Ihsan.
5	Haya	1-1-0		Haya bounced back from a Week One humbling with a strong win in Week Two over Sabr.  The were led by Farooq Sani who keyed the offense with his hustle and deft passing as he created the game winning goal and sealed the win with an empty netter.
6	Sabr	1-1-0		Sabr struggled against Haya last week, they created chances but were not able to finish around the net which cost them the game.  A big game against Ridha in Week Three will be another test to see how strong this team is as they will need to come up with a better effort in Week Three.
7	Emaan	1-1-0		Emaan caught Ikhlas for a 3-1 win in Week Two, their hustle created chances and they got the bounces to finish them.  A big test in Week Three against Shukr is up next and will need another great effort.
8	Ikhlas	1-0-1		Ikhlas dropped their game against Emaan despite being heavily favoured before the matchup.  The big challenge for the team was discipline as they gave Emaan six powerplays and right now have four of the top five penalty leaders in the league.  This is a very talented and deep team but if they cannot stop the parade to the penalty box they will have a tough time winning games.

Power Rankings - Spring Season - Week One

2017 SPRING SEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Yaqeen	1-0-0		Yaqeen looked dominant in their opening game of the season with a 6-0 destruction of Emaan.  Their top players performed and with were without a pair of sleeper picks who they are hoping will give the team an even bigger boost.
2	Ridha	1-0-0		Ridha rode a strong second half to an easy 4-0 win over Haya.  Their top line dominated play and despite a flurry of trades that remade their roster after the draft there was clearly some good chemistry.  Their challenge may be that they seem a bit thin on defense so perhaps another trade is in the works to resolve that gap.
3	Sabr	1-0-0		Sabr won their game but their effort is a bit harder to gauge here as while they defeated Ihsan but a 4-2 score the game was closer than you would expect.  Ihsan was hampered with injuries yet kept this game close but that said it is hard to question the core of this team which is comprised of last season's champions.
4	Ikhlas	0-0-1		Ikhlas looked great for most of the game last week but a late penalty cost them as Shukr was able to steal a tie.  Their offense and defense looked strong and Yusuf Kapoor made some spectacular saves.  Expect big things from this team as the season progresses.
5	Shukr	0-0-1		Shukr looked good in week one but seemed to be getting too cute with passing which cost them.  The team looks well balance but may need another sniper to finish opportunities in front of the net.
6	Ihsan	0-1-0		Ihsan was hit with early season injury issues in Week One that is likely to weigh them down early in the season.  Goalie Ahmad Mobin suffered a lower body injury and is week to week while Young Star Humza Chaudhry also suffered a lower body injury but is considered a game time decision.
7	Haya	0-1-0		Haya looked overwhelmed in Week One so the pressure is on to put out a better performance in Week Two against Sabr.  GM Abdul-Wahab Mohammad had to have expected more from the veteran squad that he drafted and will look for them to rebound this week.
8	Emaan	0-1-0		Emaan suffered a humbling 6-0 beatdown in Week One.  They were without Yousuf Soliman who was a late scratch for the game with a lower body injury and took the reigns as coach.  They have to hope that he is able to dress this week and reunite the Soliman brother line (Hany, Yousuf and Osama) who provide size, speed and skill.

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Ten

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	8-2-0		Sabr wanted to send a message to the league that they could beat any team and as proof provided a dominant 3-0 win over Haya to end the season.  The team has great goaltending and leadership and seem poised to make the finals.
2	Emaan	6-2-2		Emaan came into their last game against a desperate Ikhlas who needed a win to clinch a playoff spot - Emaan didn't care and despite Ikhlas putting up a fight came away with the win.  An important test going into the playoffs and sets the stage for a big game against Haya at 9pm.
3	Haya	5-5-0		Haya were defeated by Sabr to end their season and needed help from Yaqeen to hold onto 3rd place.  Not the way you want to go into the postseason but this squad has a lot of quality and the core won the Spring Season so they know how to get it done in the playoffs.
4	Shukr	4-4-2		Shukr came into their final regular season game knowing that a win or a tie would bump them into  3rd place so losing to a desperate Yaqeen has to be a disappointment and will now mean that to make the finals they have to beat Yaqeen at 8pm and then face a fresh Sabr at 10pm.  The team has the leadership and skill to make it happen but a tougher path nonetheless.
5	Yaqeen	2-6-2		Yaqeen got a surprise win over Shukr in the final game of the season to clinch the final playoff spot.  Their reward is a rematch against Shukr so they remain the underdog.
6	Ikhlas	2-8-0		Ikhlas crashes out of the playoff picture with a four game losing streak.  Injuries and player absences sunk their chances for the post season

Power Rankings - Fall Season - Week Nine

2017 FALLSEASON POWER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	RECORD	UP/DOWN	COMMENTS
1	Sabr	7-2-0		Sabr had to work harder than expected in their Week Nine win over Yaqeen but demonstrated that they can play a tight checking game and still come away with a win.  Maaz Haq sparked his team with a highlight reel effort to get them on the board after being down in the first half and his play sparked them to a 3-1 win.  They end the season with a feature game against Haya which some expect to be a preview of the finals.
2	Emaan	5-2-2		Emaan had their undefeated run of six games snapped in a surprise loss to Shukr.  They applied all the pressure but were outmoved by the veterans in Shukr who did enough to come away with the win.  They end their season needing a win to lock up the second seed and face a desperate Ikhlas who are fighting to get into the playoffs.
3	Haya	5-4-0		Haya swept the season series over Ikhlas with a win last week - dominating the battle of Cambridge.  They need a win and some help to clinch a top three seed which will get them out of the wildcard game.  They end their season against Sabr who will be looking at this as a good opportunity to exact revenge after Haya handed Sabr their first defeat earlier in the season.
4	Shukr	4-3-2		Shukr shocked many with a 2-1 win over Emaan last week but should we really be shocked.  They have a well balanced roster and some great coaching minds on the team.  Their issue has been consistency but they have done enough to clinch a top four seed and end their season with a game against lowly Yaqeen.
5	Ikhlas	2-7-0		ikhlas comes into this game desperate to hold onto the final playoff spot.  They face Emaan to open the night knowing that they control their own fate.
6	Yaqeen	1-6-2		Yaqeen had a strong effort against first place Sabr last game but it was not enough.  They end the season against Shukr needing a win and some help to get into the playoffs.