Week 9 Previews

 

 

Safraz Motala wanted any other team to play the final game of the season, but this team. Well, they now have to deal with it as Malton and Tpark who have had some spirited battles this past season meet for the 3rd and final time in the regular season. Malton who were dropped in the previous 2 outings were done so not only in overtime, but by the same player in Safraz. They will have to keep a close eye on him but its easier said than done as the 'slippery one' has feasted on teams all season to give him a clear route towards to the Art Ross trophy. Riaz Parekh who let in questionable goals to have those games ended by the Youngstars will need to be near perfect while the players in front of him have to do better to protect leads and play a complete game. If not, the Youngstars will be going a perfect 10 and 0 on the season in which 3 of them could come at the expense of the Mavericks.

 
5:30pm: Malton Mavericks T2 vs Donlands Midnight Ryderz

 

The Tier 2 edition of the Mavericks will then hit the floor against another Donlands team for the 2nd week in a row. After going on a sizzling 5-game win streak, the Ryderz dropped like a rock against their rivals the Mighty Ducks. They will need to regroup and play a lot more disciplined as the Mavs who have had a subpar season could very well lock up a spot in the top 5. The Ryderz and Mavs share the exact same record so this game will mean a whole lot more as they head into the playoffs. No one wants to be going in with lack of momentum so both teams will come out hard to take the W and catapult them over one another in the standings. Malton and Donlands have had their troubles defensively and have a somewhat respectable output on offence so it really comes down to Huzaifa Mahida and Ridwaan Khanji to backstop their teams to victory.

Week 8 Summary

 

Malton Mavericks T1 def Palace Panthers: 3-2 SO

 

Last time these two teams met up, the Panthers won a convincing game and managed to get under the skin of Malton's prized d-man Yusuf Azmi giving him a long hiatus from the MHL. This time around, the Mavs with a depleted lineup with some notable regulars unavailable for the game, played a solid team game with heart and downed the Panthers in shootouts. All the scoring took place in the 2nd half as Akib Patel got his team on the board with a shorthanded marker. The Panthers then took a 2-zip lead with Nabil Hathiyani scoring. Malton regrouped and came out with a sense of urgency. It paid dividends because in a span of 2 minutes with under 4 minutes to go in the game, Abdul Manjra scored. Then Belal Hafeez received a pass at the point and delivered a bomb that tied things up with just 1:27 to go to force extra time. Malton had momentum on their side and almost found a way to end it in OT, but to no avail as Zaid Memon made some tremendous saves. Shootouts had to go 4 rounds and as Riaz Parekh stopped all Panthers, the Malton got one which earned them the win.
 

  

Malton Mavericks T2 def Donlands Mighty Ducks: 4-3 OT

 

This was probably the game of the night. The writers on this website thought maybe at least one of the two games after this one probably was, but if you take a quick peek at the scores there, not a chance. This game had it all. It had end to end action, goaltending, some highlight reel goals and a game going to extra time, but ending in electrifying fashion instead of the shootout. These two clubs battled hard for every inch of blue tile at Leacock, but played a strong, physical and disciplined game which they have been known for all season. The Ducks have thrived all season long playing admirably in both ends of the rink, but this time, their offence also clicked. just 57 seconds, in, Malton got things started on a goal by Baba Khan. Donlands quickly tied it with a goal by Jwad Khan. The 2nd half showed both teams trading goal after goal as Zahid Panchbaya playing on a line with Gopi Johal and Baba got a pair of goals. The Ducks however didnt get pretty ones, but got a pair of their own to force OT on goals by Luqman Kazi and Zaid Chiboo. In the extra frame, it was Baba Khan once again who was the hero who made no mistake after receiving a nice pass from Johal to end a very exciting game.

Week 7 Summary


IFT Knights def Malton Mavericks T2 5-4 in SO

 

The Knights were boasting a full line-up and it paid dividends in the first with 2 goals from Abdul-Wahab Khawaja and Musa Boola. The Mavericks have been struggling of late offensively and it was evident in the first as they managed only 5 shots but one of them off the hands of Gopi Johal would find the back of the net to cut the Mavs defecit to one going into the half down 2-1. The Knights would take a quick 2 goal lead to start the second with Yasin Admani scoring but Yusuf Ingar would get that right back for the Mavs keeping the deficit at one. Faiz Vaid would take a ill advised penalty and it would take the Knights Yasin Admani all of 5 seconds to take advantage scoring his 2nd of the game and restoring the knights 2 goal lead but again the Mavs would have a quick answer as Gopi Johal would get his second of the game 45 seconds later to cut the deficit yet again to one. The Mavs would finally put a stop to the back n forth between both teams by finally tying the game as one of MHL's OBG's Sajjid Bhayat would score with 4 minutes to play. The Knights were all over the Mavs throughout the game out shooting them 23-10 and their disparate attempts in the dying minutes were thrown aside by Mavs netminder Ridhwan Khanjee. OT would solve nothing and shoot-outs would be required where Musa Boola would make no mistake going top shelf giving the Knights the win and the extra point.

 

Tpark Youngstars def Malton Mavericks T1: 4-3 OT

 

No it wasn't deja vue but it was very close to it. The Mavs of Malton who built up an early lead in the game, just couldnt hold onto it and a seesaw battle ensued where the Youngstars emerged victorious after the dust settled. Trying to bring down the number one seeded Youngstars has been difficult for pretty much every team, but the Mavs seem to have the right recipe, but broken plays and missed defensive assignments cost them on this night. Malton scored early on a breakaway by Nawaz Shaikh and then went up 2-zip on a goal by Zaid Toorawa. The Youngstars however, never quit and found a way to tie things up on goals by Arif Bijabhai and Sufyan Memon. Tpark then played superbly blocking shots, taking the hit along the boards and keep going and were rewarded as Hasanji Patel undressed a Malton defender and went top corner at a difficult angle to go up 3-2. Malton looked deflated, but on a powerplay, the master Rizwan Hassan won the faceoff cleanly to a wide open Baba Khan in the slot who one-timed it past Mohamed Sibtain to tie it up with just 2mins left in regulation. Overtime was a sight to see as both teams had great chances to end it, but Malton killer Safraz Motala who scored the OT winner against this same team the last time out, charged the net like he always does after a shot taken by Sufyan Memon and with the ball loose, managed to poke it through Riaz Parekh's legs to win the game and stay undefeated on the season.

 

 

Week 7 Previews

5pm: IFT Knights vs Malton Mavericks T2

  

Two teams with similar records go head to head. IFT Knights who started the season on high have dropped the last two and are now battling the Mavs to get as far away from the basement as possible. A win tonight could potentially vault one of these teams into the top 4 or 5 seed area of the standings so this is a turning point game if one of them want to go down the stretch on a high. The Knights are getting the scoring needed to win games, but its the goaltending for this team that has been a question mark. They have now used 4 different goalies through 7 games and have had difficulties finding consistency in net. The Mavs are pretty much in the same boat as they are having trouble with their goaltending using 4 individuals so far this season and the scoring has not come as frequent as they would have liked. Difficult to say which team will come out on top here, but it could be a game going the distance maybe in extra time for a winner to emerge.
 

Sounds like a broken record 'Hitmen lose by a goal' but that has been the case all season as the Hitmen fall to the Mavericks by a score of 3-2. It was a typical first with Malton producing lenty of quality scoring chances but yet again their goaltender would save their hind and it would take a power play and a rebound for Divesh Sharma to score his second goal of the season. Malton would insert a new netminder who goes by only one name of Sameer between the pipes and he look good escept for one shot that eluded him sending both teams into the locker room at one goal a piece.
The Mavericks Abdul Rahim Manjra would put the Mavs up by one and would not score again until their was 32 seconds left in the game as Syed Ahmed would get what would turn out to be the winner on the power play. Hitmen's Rizwan Hassan would make it close with 11 seconds to play as he picked the corner but that would be all she wrote as the Hitmen remain win less and the Mavs end their losing streak.

 

T-Park Jrs Shut-out Malton Mavericks (T2) 3-0

 

The Jrs from T-Park were under manned but that would not phase them one bit as Sufyan Jogiyat and Waseem Vawda would take advantage of Malton's Adil Mirza's long awaited return to the pipes as he would shake off some rust but not before allowing the two goals. Humzah Jogiyat would collect the lone assists on both plays as T-Park would take a 2-0 lead into the second. The Mavericks did not play smart and made matters worse as they took back to back penalties but luckily for them they would come out unscathed. The Mavs would generate scoring chances but could not find the net or get stopped by the stifling defense of T-Park led goaltender Afzal Vepari and defenseman Maaz Jogiyat. The whole squad from T-Park had a s trong outing Aasim Patel's late goal would ice the game as the Jrs shut-out the Mavs by a score of 3-0.

 

Week 6 Previews

 

 

 

The Mavericks have slipped in the standings dropping from second to third place and it is a direct result of their 3 game losing streak. Good news for them is that they are playing the Hitmen who have yet to win a game but have been playing some inspired hockey as of late. Their last 3 losses have been by one goal and they could just be warming up for that first victory but when they played the Mavericks in their first meeting they were man handled and lost by a score of 5-0 which ironically was the Mavs last victory before their slump. The Hitmen have only one multi-goal scorer in Aron Chand and that will defenitly have to change if they want to win while the Mavs leader is Rizwan Hassan with 3 goals himself but has been stuck on that number since their last victory which was against the same Hitmen.

 

6pm: Malton Mavericks T2 vs Tpark Jrs

 

A huge test for the Mavs as they are up against a pretty hot Tpark Jrs team. Tpark have won the last 2 and have found ways of keeping the other team's streaky scorers at bay while their own players have found ways of putting the balls in the net. With the loss the Jrs Warriors endured last week, Tpark are now licking their chops at the potential threat of capturing that number one seed going into the playoffs and these games look to be easy pickings for them. However, the Mavs have been pretty good themselves always elevating their game against these upper teams. The Zahid/Yusuf/Gopi line exploded last week on offence with Yusuf Ingar collecting a hattrick in a win against Markham. There is a chance unfortunately that sparkplug Ashraf Nana could sit out as he looked like he pulled a hamstring in last week's game which has been nagging him for a few weeks now. Tpark are on a mission and players like Yusuf Memon, Mohamed Taliya and Hamza Jogiat have been on a tear and will look to score early and play shut down defence the rest of the way.

WEEK 4 PREVIEWS

 

5pm: Markham Jrs Malton Mavericks T2

 

Two teams near the bottom of the standings do battle and this could potentially be a matchup where one team has a chance to turn their season around. Markham and Malton are known for their abundance of energy and ability to pull out wins. This year has been trying for both squads as output in the goals department has been hard to come by. Markham's balanced offence could be the key to get them past the Mavs as they have spread out their scoring and have depth down the bench. Malton however, have relied really on just one line of Zahid Panchbaya and Gopi Johal so more is needed to help the defence and goaltending out. 

7pm: Donlands Mighty Ducks vs Malton Mavericks T2

 

The other Donlands squad the Mighty Ducks however are playing some good hockey as of late and the Mavs depending on what happens in the first game earlier in the evening, will have to respond to the up-tempo style of play the Ducks can muster. Even though the Ducks haven't really produced heavily on offence, they now boast the best defensive squad thus far this season. Goalie Bilal Makrod has been astounding with a .937 percentage and hold a sparkling 1.26 GAA. He's turning a lot of heads giving his team the chance to win each night. The Ducks as mentioned before don't score much, but when they do, they have a balanced scoring output and the infusion of little-known Jack Curtis has certainly given this team that much added boost on the floor.

 

8pm: Malton Mavericks T1 vs Palace Panthers

 

The Mavericks are a contender for the finals and the Panthers are hoping to be recognized in that category but they have a long way to go and a win against the Mavs will help to elevate their status and their confidence. Despite not having a win to date the Panthers take a positive into the game and that is they somewhat broke out of their scoring slump as a team and hopefully they can math and surpass that output this week. The Mavs have gotten younger all around but their solid play is due to their defense led by Shahraiz Buttar and the Azmi's on defense and the developing play of Riaz Parekh between the pipes. The same can't be said for the Panthers who have given up an average of 5 goals a game and the play of Zaid Memon has been suspect as of late. The team will have to pull together and play much better in front of him as the blame can't go solely on the netminder.

WEEK 3 PREVIEWS

4pm - Malton Mavericks T1 vs Hitmen

 

The Mavs prevented one team last week from netting their first victory and hope to do the same this week against the Hitmen. Malton has only managed 5 goals  on the season but the team has bought into playing defense first mentality which has resulted in their 2-0 record as they have only allowed 2 goals on the season behind the goaltending of Riyaz Parekh. Across the floor between the pipes will be Steve Devekos who is a busy man game in game out as he has averaged 31 shots against a game and the Hitmen need to commit to either playing a defensive game or go all out on offense as oppose to what has transpired on offense as 43% of the teams individual points totals belongs to Raza Bahadur and with him leading that stats you know your team is in trouble.

 

 

5pm - Malton Mavericks T2 vs Durham

 

There are no 2 teams more alike then these 2 teams. Both with the same record so far and have scored and given up the same amount of goals. This game can go either way. But the way the Mavs played against a powerhouse JR Warriors squad last week, Durham will definitely have their hands full. Even though the offence sputtered for the Mavs, injecting Yusuf Ingar back into the lineup will most likely help their cause. At the other end however, Durham didnt have their leader Sufyan Shaikh last week in a 2-1 loss against the Ducks, his presence in itself can definitely bring the momentum back to the 'golden boys'. Ridwaan Khanji who was a question mark for the season, came back and made a lot of heads turn with his goaltending prowess for Malton so Zayd Agjee has to come up with his A-game as well if they are to have a chance against their opponents.

 

7pm - T-Park Youngstars vs Malton Mavericks

 

The Youngstars are on a role and the only team that can stop them is probably the Mavericks. Well T-Park will catch some what of a break as this will be the second game of the night for Malton and they might be going into this game undefeated pending the outcome of their Hitmen game and it will set-up for a great game between two undefeated teams that are loaded with young talent from your Divesh Sharma, Shoaib Rangrez Chandpreet Sandhu and Adil Patel for Malton and Safraz Motala, Hassanji Patel and the emergence of Mohammed Mankrod for the Youngstars

 


WEEK 2 SUMMARY

Jr Warriors def Malton Mavericks T2: 2-1

If the Warriors are out to prove something, they have to find ways to play better as a team and be able to score more especially against a hot goaltender. Mavs goalie Ridhwaan Khanji was clearly the man of the match as he made numerous phenomenal saves that could have easily given the warriors the game early. The Warriors scored a wierd one as Hanif Kasuji threw one on net and it somehow squirted out with a waiting Ismail Dawood picking it up and scoring. Malton then scored a fluky one of their own as Gope Johal tried to throw a pass in front, hit a Warrior leg and it went in. After that, it was the Khanji show as he made 25 saves in the game and Mallton just had to play defence for most of the evening. The backbreaker came late in the 2nd as Malton's Arshad Sufi got called for holding and the Warriors' powerplay was effective as Shuaib Bulbulia fired a one-timer past Khanji for the winner and to go 3-0 on the season.

Player of the game: Ridwaan Khanji - Malton

 

 

Malton Mavericks T1 def Palace Panthers: 3-1

 

After the thrashing the panthers received last week, they wanted to come out hard against the Mavs. They came out harder, but running through the towering defensive core the Mavs boast was not an easy mission. With goalie Zaid Memon between the pipes, he was a busy man getting pelted with 23 shots on the night. Malton scored first on a goal by Syed Ahmed. The Panthers answered back on a Naeem Shah breakaway goal. Then the Mavs just played shut down defence and their offence took care of the rest as Divesh Sharma scored the go-ahead marker with 6mins left in the game. Then I-Slam star Shoaib Khan scored the insurance marker to put the game out of harms reach to allow his team to go undefeated early this season while the Panthers are still looking for that elusive win.

 

Player of the game: Divesh Sharma - Malton

WEEK 2 PREVIEWS


 4pm: Jr Warriors vs Malton Mavericks T2

If there is one team that has come out of the gate and has shown they are the team to beat for the Makkah Cup this year, it is the Jr Warriors. Eerily resembling the Scarborough Young Guns squad that floundered in the MHL a few seasons back, it seems a resurgence from the youth of Scarborough as come out and is ready to bring back some of the glory to the Lawrence strip. Even though they were struggling to get their legs back in game 1 against the Mighty Ducks, they still pulled out a 2-1 win. And when they had to face the Markham Jrs the same night, they came out stronger to take a convincing 5-2 result. Shezaad Shaikh is a man on a mission as he was robbed of some hardware last season and wants to take what rightfully his by making some beautiful save in the first 2 games while the likes of Bangi, Bulbulia and Dawood are out to make a point as well. The Mavericks tier 2 team proves that the town of Malton is still churning out young ball hockey players and this is a good season for them to try and develop some depth as they too are coming off a good win against the Bandits last week.

 

 

5pm: Palace Panthers vs Malton Mavericks T1

 

 

Both teams have a history dating back to Spring 2010 where the Mavericks beat out the Panthers in the Makkah Cup. Not all the players are there from that time but the rivalry continues. The Panthers are a middle of the pack team until they get consistency in the scoring department and despite the debacle last week at the hands of the Youngstars the Panthers are pretty good in their own end but who knows how they will respond this week after their confidence took a serious blow the previous one. The Mavs had a good showing last week edging out the victory and the somewhat veteran team knows the Panthers will come out gunning and Mavs defence especially Yusuf and Saleh will have to discipline themselves otherwise they might give the game away via the powerplay as both brothers combined for 8 minutes in penalties in the last contest.

 WEEK 1 RESULTS

 

Tier 2
Malton Mavericks T2 def Palace Bandits: 3-2

The Palace Bandits showed off their new duds and maybe a brand new outlook on life as they faced the Malton Mavericks who have decided to submit 2 teams into the MHL this season. Both teams were flying as they wanted to start off the season on a positive note. Just 36 seconds left in the 1st, it was Malton that answered the bell as Zahid Panchbaya floated in a shot from the faceoff dot that eluded Usman Variava to go up 1-0. Howerver, Uzair Limbada showed off his scoring prowess as Mohamed Docrat won the faceoff cleanly and Limbada rifled it past Adil Patel to tie it. Malton's Ashraf Nana then put his team ahead 2-1. But the combo of Docrat and Limbada struck again as Docrat fed Limbada in the slot after some great work along the boards to tie it up again. With 2:20 left in the game, Gopi Johal fired one past Variava which stood up to be the winner. Adil Patel was spectacular stopping 25 shots to solidify the win and being named the Sizzling Skillet player of the game.
 

Tier 1
Mavericks def Pirates 2-1

 

With both teams making the jump to tier 1 one did not know what to expect but by the end of the game it was clear both teams mean business as the game was filled with hitting, penalties and the occasional goal. Well all the scoring was done in the first with both teams exchanging goals as Malton's Rizwan Hassan opened the scoring  and Markham's Ayaz Umerwadia would respond 41 seconds later. The game winner would come from the hands of multi-talented Adil Patel. The Pirates had a glorious chance just before the period was out as they had a 5 on 3 for almost 90 seconds but the Malton defense led by the shot blocking of Nawaz Shaikh did allow anything to get through. Despite the lack of scoring in the 2nd period it was a game to watch as the physical play continued and trying to get a scoring chance meant you would be hurting as both teams played right to the end