News for Jaffari Youth Hockey League

Congratulations An-Noor and Ansar, JYHL 2011 Champions!

Posted Sun Jul 31, 2011 - 08:32 AM

The final is over and the awards have been handed out. The 2011 edition of the Jaffari Youth Hockey League has come to and end, and what a season it has been. It all came to a climax on Friday, as Mujahideen and An-Noor battled for the Junior championship, while Masumeen and Ansar rekindled their historic rivalry in an epic quest for the Senior championship.

The Junior game began at around 8.00 PM, and both teams had definitely come out in full force, ready to fight for the crown. An-Noor took an early lead via Kaamil Khalfan, before Zain Ali Esmail tied it up for Mujahideen. The game continued to swing back and forth, with An-Noor again reclaiming the lead only to see Mujahideen equalize just as quickly. With the score 2-2 in the second period, An-Noor finally thought they had broken out, with Kaamil completing his hat-trick and Hassan Abbas Kara adding a goal to give their team a 4-2 lead. Mujahideen, however, were not ready to give up just yet, as they roared back with 2 quick goals to bring the game back to a deadlock heading into the third period. An-Noor captain and first round pick Aamir Ali Panju then took over the game for his team, scoring his first after a solid individual effort to give An-Noor a 5-4 lead, and then scored another 2 goals after Mujahideen had again tied the game at 5-5. The clock ticked down with An-Noor leading 7-5, and while Mujahideen managed to pull one goal back with their net empty and half a minute remaining, they were unable to tie the game for a fifth time, and An-Noor walked off the field as 7-6 victors and playoff champions, after an incredible final in which both teams exhibited unparalleled heart, determination, and skill.

The Junior awards ceremony followed, with An-Noor celebrating their achievement as both Season and Playoff champions. Kaamil Khalfan took home the Playoff MVP award, while Zain Ali Esmail was unanimously selected as the Season MVP. His younger brother and Mujahideen teammate Imran Esmail was voted Top Forward, while fellow teammate Kazim Jessa won the Top Defender prize. An-Noor goalie Rahman Hemani, who narrowly missed out on Playoff MVP after a string of incredible performances to backstop his team to the championship, was deservedly chosen as the Top Goalie, while Mujahideen coach Hussein Mohamedali was named Coach of the Year. Al-Muflihoon and Ikhwan then got in on the act, with al-Muflihoon duo Zain Ali Khalfan and Aadil Jaffer winning the Top Rookie and Most Sportsmanlike awards, respectively, with Ikhwan stalwart Rishaad Bharwani winning Most Improved and teammate Mustapha Khamissa being named Most Exemplary Player for his continued service and volunteering efforts with the league.

The Senior game then got underway as the clock approached 9 PM, but this game was not the seesaw battle that spectators had witnessed in the Junior final. Mohamed Mohamedali scored 2 quick goals to spot Ansar to an early 2-0 lead, while Mousa Azouz added a third before the first period ended. Shaneali Kara pulled one back for Masumeen early in the second, before Muhammad Haji responded to re-establish Ansar's 3-goal cushion. Muhammad Kara scored Ansar's fifth, adding to his 4 assists on the other goals, to give Ansar was seemed like an insurmountable 4-goal lead. The third period was a different story, however, with Mustafa Kamani and Sajjad Akbar scoring quickly to cut Ansar's lead to only 2 goals, with Sajjad adding another later in the period to make it a 1-goal game. The last few minutes of the game saw continued pressure from Masumeen, with only a couple lucky bounces and some brilliant goaltending from Afzal Panju stopping the game from being all tied up. The final buzzer sounded with Ansar holding on to their 5-4 lead, and thus finally winning the Senior championship after 2 straight years of losing in the final.

Muhammad Kara was named Playoff MVP after his five-point night, with Al-Wahed superstar Haider Akbar taking home the Season MVP award after leading his team to the league championship. Masumeen forward Mustafa Kamani was voted Top Forward, Al-Wahed captain Tahir Jaffer was Top Defender, while teammate Karrar Hussain was Top Goalie on the back of his 3 shutouts over the course of the season. Afzal Panju was selected Top Rookie, while Muhammad Abbas Amarshi won the Most Sportsmanlike Award. That brought an end to the JYHL 2011 campaign, and as the players celebrated and enjoyed a delicious dinner from Toppings, thoughts had already turned to next March, when the teams will begin anew in their quest to win the JYHL Championship.

An-Noor's Road to the Finals

Posted Thu Jul 28, 2011 - 11:18 AM

In the beginning, there were four. Now as of last Friday only two teams remain; An-Noor and Mujahideen. They were ranked first and second seed respectively and promise a great match in the final. But first, let us talk about what got An-Noor there – the semifinals.

An-Noor and Ikhwan both knew the pressure was mounting as a place in the finals was the prize. Ikhwan could pull off a huge upset against number one seeded An-Noor. An-Noor also knew that they had to redeem themselves after a devastating loss against Mujahideen the previous week.

Before the game, both teams had a lot to worry about as both teams had some key players missing. But, as the game began, they soon realized that they could take the win due to absences from the other team. In the game, some of JYHL’s younger stars stood out, namely the brothers Ammar Thaver from Ikhwan and Aamir Jaffer from An-Noor. Both players showed their tremendous development since the beginning of the season.

So both teams fought hard for the win and soon the crowd witnessed An-Noor enjoy an astounding victory and resulting huge celebrations thanks in large part to their goalie Rahman Hemani. An-Noor can now look forward to a matchup that will pose to be a challenge as they strive to receive their first JYHL cup victory in franchise history.

Written by: MohammedShabbar Manek, An-Noor defender.

JYHL Finals + Awards Ceremony

Posted Wed Jul 27, 2011 - 03:16 PM

Another season is almost over, with only the small matter of the championship yet to be decided. The Final and Awards Ceremony is set to take place this Friday, June 29, at Elgin Barrow Arena. The schedule for the evening's program is as follows:

7.45 - Junior Practice
8.00 - Junior Finals: An-Noor vs. Mujahideen
9.00 - Junior Awards Ceremony and Dinner
9.30 - Senior Finals: Ansar vs. Masumeen
10.30 - Senior Awards Ceremony
11.00 - Pickup Hockey (open to all attendees)
11.30 - Program End

The league will provide all attending players with dinner during their respective Awards Ceremony (Junior players will receive theirs during the Junior Ceremony, while Senior players will get theirs during the Senior Ceremony). All parents, siblings, and other attendees who are interested in purchasing a dinner package (chicken wrap and soda) can do so for $5, and as there is a limited quantity of food available, it is advisable for all interested parties to reserve the dinner by emailing JYHL2011@gmail.com with your name and number of wraps you wish to order.

JYHL Semifinals

Posted Thu Jul 21, 2011 - 04:53 PM

Semifinal games will take place tomorrow at Elgin Barrow, with An-Noor and Ikhwan fighting for the chance to face Mujahideen in the Junior final at 7.30, with Ansar and Al-Wahed battling to face Masumeen in the Senior final at 9 PM. al-Muflihoon and Mujahideen players can play in a pickup match at 7.30 alongside the Junior semis, with another pickup game also scheduled for 10 PM, open to anyone who wants to play.

PLAYOFFS: July 15th Schedule and RULES

Posted Wed Jul 13, 2011 - 06:26 PM

Friday, July 15th:

7:30 - Mujahideen vs. An-Noor / Muflihoon vs. Ikhwan GAME 2
8:35 - Mujahideen vs. An-Noor / Muflihoon vs. Ikhwan GAME 3 + Shootout (if necessary)
8:45 - Zuljana vs. Ansar GAME 2
9:45 - Zuljana vs. Ansar GAME 3 + Shootout (if necessary)
9:55 - Al-Wahed vs Masumeen GAME 2
11:00 - Al- Wahed vs. Masumeen GAME 3 + Shootout (if necessary)

All games are at Elgin Barrow Arena

RULES:

Just to clarify the rules, if Game 2 is tied at the end of regulation or if Mujahideen/Ikhwan/Masumeen/Ansar win the game, then Mujahideen/Ikhwan/Masumeen/Ansar win the series. If An-Noor/Muflihoon/Zuljana/Al-Wahed wins, there will be a full 5 minute Game 3 (which is NOT sudden death). If the game is tied after the 5 mins, there will be a 5-on-5 shootout.. goalies cannot shoot (to save time) and teams are allowed repeat shooters AFTER EVERY MEMBER ON ONE OF THE TEAMS HAS SHOT ONCE (so if one of the teams has 6 players the other has 9 players, the team with 9 players can have repeat shooters after thier 6th shooter)... repeat shooters can only shoot one additional shot, same rules as for the first shots.

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