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Fall 2018 Award Winners
Nordiques complete sweep and capture Verdi Cup!
The second leg of the Finals went underway and you know the Hawks came in hungry for a win. They would be robbed of the opportunity point blank in the opening minutes of the game as the Nords came ready to launch a full out assault. Divesh Sharma netted the first two goals of the game, and Prateek Johal added two more to give the Nords the 4-0 lead halfway through the first. Their passing and shooting were on point, with everything going right and everything going wrong for netminder Abbas Shaikh. The Hawks finally got on board with a goal from Zahid Panchbhaya, who was undoubtedly the best Hawks player on the floor that night. Sharma would complete his first period hat trick before Hassan Tahajuddin could double the Hawks’ tally. Nords led 5-2 after one, with Kaleem Mirza playing some one of the best games of his career. The second period saw a very strong comeback from the Hawks, with a pair of goals from Panchbhaya and a rocket from Jason Gogna. The Hawks managed to cut the lead within one thanks to some powerplays, trailing only 6-5 behind the Nords. Unfortunately for them, that’s about as close as they got, with Syed Ahmed ramping up his point total with a pair of goals. The Hawks would score another goal with under two minutes left in regulation, but Sharma would have the last laugh with the tenth goal of the night for the Nords. Nords win this one 10-6 and sweep the Finals series.
Your Fall 2018 Verdi Cup Champions dominated the series, and Kaleem Mirza would rightfully take home the Finals MVP silverware. A huge thanks to all teams and GMs for their participation this season, and we look forward to the same riveting hockey in Winter 2019—season 15!
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Game 2 Preview
Nordiques vs Hawks @ 9:30pm
Nordiques lead series 1-0
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second leg of this Finals series! The Hawks will have to climb a psychological mountain this week and force a Game 3 if they want to have a shot at the cup. The Nords put on an effective display of force last week, capitalizing on mistakes and getting the lucky bounces. This week, however, we expect the return of Hawks’ GM Mohammed Kazi to make a significant impact to gameplay. This will also be a chance for netminder Abbas Shaikh to redeem himself. A lot rides on this game, as simply tying it will grant the Nords a clean sweep victory. Stay tuned for more!
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Game 1
Nordiques defeat Hawks 11-6
Nordiques lead series 1-0
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Game 1 of the Fall 2018 MMGL Verdi Cup Finals! The offensive output Nordiques took on the tantalizing Hawks in a game that requires some serious breakdown. The Hawks were without GM Mohammed Kazi, and his absence was duly noted during play. The Nords struck first with a goal from Prateek Johal, before Sufyan Kazi would equalize for the Hawks. The Nords would net two more thanks to Syed Ahmed and Johal. Shahzad Rana would avenge the Hawks with a pair of his own to tie it up. The Nords took the slight 5-4 lead after the first period. The second period saw the Nords take advantage of some serious Hawks turnovers, putting netminder Abbas Shaikh on the hot seat. The Hawks' defence seemed to have an internal collapse with miscommunication. The Nords' offensive trio in Prateek, Syed, and Divesh combined for 14 points on the night. Their defence was also on point with Moose, Pavan, and Zubair Patel holding it down in front of netminder Kaleem Mirza. The Hawks managed to squeeze by two goals in the second half, but with little impact on the final score. Nords walk away with a dominating win, 11-6. They are just 40 minutes away from raising the cup!
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Game 1
Hawks Vs Nordiques
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Fall 2018 MMGL Verdi Cup Finals! As always, we'd like to thank you, the fans, for making this yet another successful riveting season. For the main event, we've got the Nordiques taking on the Hawks, which can only mean one thing - goal after goal after goal. The Nords' Big 3 comprise of Divesh Sharma, Syed Ahmed, and Prateek Johal who have a combined total of 79 goals on the season! This will be a real litmus test for Hawks' netminder Abbas Shaikh, who has been the backbone to his team's success. His counterpart Kaleem Mirza will be the deciding factor for his team, aas teh Hawks will be sure to buzz around him all game long. This is the trio of Mohammed Kazi, Abdul Manjra, and Shahzad Rana for a combined 67 points on the season. The Nords have explosiveness and a formula for success, while the Hawks have the tenacity and underdog mentality to bring out the best in the entire squad. Offense wins games, and defense wins championships. I can assure you one thing folks, this is not a finals you want to miss!
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Playoffs
Semi Finals Game 2
Hawks Vs Jets 9-9
Hawks win series 1-0
The Hawks took on the Jets in what was a do or die game for the Jets. The Hawks bolstered in with confidence knowing they only needed a tie to proceed to the finals. The Jets got off on the right foot with a goal from GM Ricky Saili, and seemed to have enough drive on his squad to keep the Hawks at bay for a while. The Hawks retaliated late in the first with a succession of goals coming from Sufyan Kazi and Hassan Tahajudin. The Hawks led 5-3 at the half. The second half saw the Jets pull within one with another Saili goal and managed to tie minutes later with a goal from Shoaib Khan. GM Mohammed Kazi would reclaim the lead but Khan would go off with another pair of goals to give the Jets the 9-7 lead with 4:36 left in play. Zahid Panchbhaya would score one for the Hawks to cut the lead down to one with 4 minutes left in play. Everything seemed to be working in the favour of the Jets to force a game 3, but a silly penalty put them on the PK for the dying minutes of the game. Sufyan Kazi would rip one from the point , hit the wall, and trickle off netminder Khanji's back into the net! Folks, you cannot make this up! With 45.7 seconds left in play, the Hawks had tied it leaving the Jets in absolute shock. The Jets would pull Khanji in an attempt to score one more, but alas, their season ended with such heartbreak. The Hawks move on to the Verdi Cup Finals.
Hawks lead series 1-0
The Hawks and Jets will kick off game two of the series this week, with the Jets desperately in need of a miracle win. To replay last week's tough memories, the Hawks pummeled the Jets 9-3 with superior offense and goaltending. All eyes are now on GM Ricky Saili to make a drastic change as his team's season is now sitting on the line. The Hawks on the other hand, will want to maintain composure as we've seen many times in the past a playoff prediction gone awry.
Nordiques defeat Bruins 10-5
Hawks win series 2-0
The Nords and Bruins faced off in their second leg, with the Bruins kicking themselves for not winning the first game of the series. The Bruins struck first with a goal from Zaheer Kazi, and managed to stay in the game early on trading goals with the Nords. The Nords took the slight one goal lead thanks to Syed Ahmed’s third goal of the night. Nords led 5-4 at the half, in what was shaping up to be a very close game. The second period was far from it, as the Nords came out with a different energy, including a pair of goals from Divesh Sharma for the 7-4 lead. The Bruins did not have the offensive firepower to respond, and managed to muster only one goal in the second period. The Nords kept pushing with late game goals to close this one out definitively for the 10-5 win. The Nords will move on to face the Hawks in the Verdi Cup Finals, while the Bruins have yet another playoff run end in flames. Perhaps next season will prove to be the one.
Nordiques lead series 1-0
The Nords and Bruins will face off once again, in what fans hope will be a replay of Game 1. The Nords narrowly escaped with a one goal win, giving them the advantage of needing only to tie Game 2. Do not underestimate the power of the Bruins, as they have historically fared well in the first round of the MMGL playoffs. Anything is possible.
Semi Finals Game 1
Nordiques defeat Bruins 8-7
Nordiques lead series 1-0
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Fall 2018 MMGL first ever playoff series! The historical Game 1 was played between the Nords and the Bruins, in an extraordinary display of skill and talent. The Nords struck first with a goal from Pavan Dulai. The Bruins shortly equalized with a point from Abraar Gangat. Both teams traded goals back and forth in the first period, surprisngly enough, considering the Nords were without sniper Syed Ahmed and big man Moose Khan. The Nords held a sligh 4-3 lead over the Bruins going into the second thanks to a goal from Anmol Sharma. The second period started off strong for the Nords as they lit up netminder Mohammed AK for four straight goals. This was part of a hat trick effort from Divesh Sharma. This should have been enough to call the game with just 4 minutes left in play but the Bruins pushed back with an amazing four goal effort of their own in the dying minutes of the game. Zaheer Kazi would score the last goal for the Bruins with 27 seconds left in play to bring the game within one, but could not muster out one more. The Nords sneak away with a huge win as the Bruins will have to win Game 2 to force a game 3OT. Should the Nords simply tie Game 2, they move on to the Finals.
Nordiques vs Bruins @ 9:15 pm
The 6-2 Nordiques will take on the 3-5 Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. The Nords have been an absolute force this season, and made themselves the clear contender to beat. That being said, the Bruins have had a history of pulling off the underdog win. When it comes to situations like these, all it takes is one lucky bounce to change everything.
Hawks defeat Jets 9-3
Hawks lead series 1-0
The Hawks and Jets faced off in a Game 1 that is sure to go down as the "one that got away". The Hawks struck first with a goal from Shahzad Rana before the Jets equalized with a goal from Abdullah Panchbhaya. Both teams traded goals a bit more in the first period, in what seemed to be an evenly matched game. The Hawks held the slight 3-2 lead at the half thanks to a late goal from Sufyan Kazi. The second period, however, saw Jets' netminder Ridwaan Khanji alone against the Hawks' offensive prowess as they went on to score six straight goals. A series of defensive lapses and unlucky bounces resulted in a hat trick for Hawks' GM Mohammed Kazi. Leading 9-2 with just 5 minutes left in play, this game was over and the Jets' late goal from Shoaib Rangrez did little to console. Goalie Abbas Shaikh was the star of the night with 37 saved shots; leaving GM Ricky Saili pondering hard for a Game 2 strategy as they prepare to climb a steep hill.
Jets vs Hawks @ 10:15 pm
The 4-4 Hawks will take on the 3-5 Jets in their first round of the playoffs. Our analysts predict both teams to be evenly matched, making this game that much more interesting. It will be interesting to see if the Hawks will stick with the all-out offensive approach - the same approach that helped them secure the second spot in the standings.
