Nordiques sweep Hawks to capture Verdi Cup!
VS 
Game 2: Nordiques Vs Hawks @ 9:30 pm
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the final game of the year! The Nords lead this series 1-0 with a 9-7 win in the first game. That being said, the Verdi Cup is equally up for grabs for the Hawks. The Hawks will need to play a full end-to-end game to ensure victory on their end, and overcome this uphill battle. As for the Nords, the pressure is on to maintain and keep this lead. Will Kaleem Mirza return for the Nords? Will Divesh Sharma be able to lead a team on an offensive blitz? All this and more, in an hour jam packed of good clean hockey!
Game 1: Nordiques defeat Hawks 9-7
Nordiques Lead Series 1-0
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first leg of the Verdi Cup Finals! When all was said and done, you would have thought this game itself was the final. The Hawks took on the Nords in a physically and adrenaline-pumped game. The Hawks struck first with a goal from Syed Ahmed, who led the team in shots and goals. The Nords equalized minutes later thanks to Indy Pabla, but this first period would see a lead change at each turn. Abbas Shaikh would be the man between the pipes for the Nords, given Kaleem Mirza is still recovering from a sustained semi finals knee injury. The Nords netted back-to-back goals to tie things up in the first via Pavan Dulai and Sadik Patel. The second period saw the Hawks net three straight, featuring a double from Anant Kaushal. The cylinders stopped firing shortly after as the Nords pushed back with a strong barrage, with Indy Pabla finishing off the game with the empty netter, despite all defensive efforts from the Hawks. With a 9-7 win, they are just one more game away from the Cup!
Friday November 22 @ 9:30 pm
Game 1 of the 16th Verdi Cup Finals will be held Friday Nov 22nd at 9:30PM between the Hawks and the Nordiques. The Hawks and Nordiques finished first and second place in the regular season, respectively. The Hawks bring forth a team led by GM Mohamed Kazi, who aims for an explosive style of play. The Nordiques led by GM Divesh Sharma look to play the long offensive game, seeking opportunities to take the lead at decisive points in the game. The Nords are coming off a blistering win of their series, and will be looking to keep the momentum going. As for the Hawks, they have been able to show their toughness and ability to play some solid defense. Anything goes, and there is no prediction for this first leg of the Finals!
Playoffs
Semi Finals Game 2 Summaries
Hawks defeat Bruins 8-7
Hawks win series 2-0
The Hawks and Bruins faced off in a game that was oh so worth the wait! The Hawks came in leading the series, but did not expect so many lead changes in this game. Nadir Ahmed and Mohammed AK stood tall, and the fate of the series was well out of their control. Despite being tied at two each after ten, the Hawks took the lead with a strong performance from Anant Kaushal, including killing off a late penalty. The second period was a whole different game with the Bruins netting four straight compliments of the entire gang. The Hawks would cut the deficit to one with a goal from Maaz Panchbhaya, only to have Jason Gogna add another for the Bruins. Unfortunately for the Bruin gang, they would take a too many men penalty, giving the Hawks the chance to tie it up! With just 48 seconds left in play, Syed Ahmed would net the game winner and destroy all hopes and dreams for the Bruins. The Bruins threw out another attacked but the Hawks would hold on for a trip to the 16th Verdi Cup Finals!
Nordiques defeat Falcons 15-11
Nordiques win series 2-0
The Nords and Falcons faced off again with both goalies looking to take the win for the series. The game started off well, tied two after 8 minutes of play. The Nords caught a break towards the end of the first with goals from Pavan Dulai and Indy Pabla to give the team a much needed boost, leading to a barrage of goals at the end for a 6-3 lead. The Falcons' defense seemed awe struck and could not stop the onslaught, leaving netminder Ridwaan Khanji to fend for himself. The second period was more of the same with the likes of Sadik Patel and Abdul Kazi combining for 4 additional points. Netminder Kaleem Mirza was on top of his game despite a leg injury in the first. With such a wide goal differential in the 15-11 win, the Nords could celebrate early knowing they were destined for another MMGL Finals. Tough luck for the Falcons who fought hard but fell short.
Semi Finals Game 2 Previews
Hawks vs Bruins 9:15 pm
The Hawks and Bruins will battle it out again the second leg of this playoff series. The Bruins had an impact start last game, and will be looking to recreate that same sense of urgency, but with the intent to close it out. As for the Hawks, there has been nothing but resiliency from this team who hope they can keep their goal differential up just enough to squeak by this round. It will be as close as it possibly can get!
Nordiques Vs Falcons 10:15 pm
The Nords will take on the Falcons with the hope of closing out this series in their favor. With a strong second half last game, they will be looking to continuously apply pressure and break the Falcons defense. That being said, a few lucky bounces in favour of the Falcons will flip this series on its head. The jury is out on this one for sure!
Semi Finals Game 1
Hawks defeat Bruins 8-6
With the way this game started, you would think the Bruins were destined for the Cup. The gang started off with four straight goals, leaving netminder Nadir Ahmed looking for answers. The Hawks pushed back to close the lead to one, thanks to a late powerplay goal from Syed Ahmed. The second period saw a stronger offense from the Hawks, gaining the two goal lead. With the Hawks up 7-5, the Bruins pulled their goalie and managed to net one more to cut the deficit in half. Unfortunately for them, the Hawks' defense shifted to offense and were able to score the last second insurance goal for an 8-6 win.
Nordiques defeat Falcons 9-6
The Falcons and Nords stole the spotlight as the offensive powerhouses went head to head. The Nords struck first with a goal from Prateek Johal, before the Falcons netted a pair thanks to Sufyan Kazi and Huzzy Panchbhaya. The Nords' Moose Khan would swoop in to tie things up. This game would be tied at 4-4 at the half, with both teams trading goals back and forth. The Falcons got into some penalty trouble in the second with a game misconduct that led to some easy goals for the Nords to build a small lead, all thanks to Johal. Ridwaan Khanji stood tall but was overcome at the end, giving the Nords the 9-6 win.
Semi Finals Game 1
Bruins vs Hawks @ 9:15 pm
The first place Hawks will be taking on the last place Bruins in our first set of semi-playoffs games. Expect this to be a defensive series which can go either way. The Hawks have dominated with a very strong dedicated team and this has reaped rewards in the standings. That being said, the Bruins have always been a playoff team showing a different face when the wins matter. The match up of Nadir Ahmed against Mohammed AK Patel will be one to watch as both goalies are known to play extremely well under pressure. Who will crack first, and will the losing team be able to bounce back in the second leg?
Falcons vs Nordiques @ 10:15 pm
The Falcons and Nords have traded spots back and forth all season; naturally this playoff match up was inevitable. Netminders Kaleem Mirza and Ridwaan Khanji will have their work cut out for them as this is expected to be a very high scoring series. Both teams are known for their run and gun style of play, shooting from all around. There will be a lot of sparks flying, and the winner may just be determined by a lone goal.
