Go the distance with 2 OT periods and a shootout to defeat the ML Warriors in a 2-1 nailbiter.

Best. Finals. Ever.
That pretty much sums up what both the ML Warriors and Greenbirds showcased for a packed Malton Arena house Sunday night. A phenomenal display of grit, defence, goaltending mixed in with some heart-stopping moments as for the first time ever, the Salaam Cup introduced Overtime play in the finals. This game was exciting right from the get go as both teams knew what was at stake. The Birds are coming off their first Salaam Cup loss after having their names put on them for 4 straight years while the Warriors of Markham & Lawrence have not tasted from the cup since the inaugural tournament back in 2005. The Birds had a tremendous amount of size and strength on the boards and they used it to their advantage pounding the Warrior defence and offensive players as much as they could to get to the loose balls and overpowering them for it. The Warriors, however, never relent to any type of physicality and dished out as much as they took and found ways to get in behind the defence with their chances.

The Greenbirds however, got what they wanted and that was the first goal of the game just 4:57 in. Sajjid Ayubi who is probably the most dangerous Salaam Cup finals player in history unleashed some power before hitting the blueline that beat goaltender Umar Chichwadia. Osman Buttar who was behind Ayubi said the ball made a "wicked curve" that could have fooled any goalie. After that, the Greenbirds do what they do best, dictate the flow of the game by putting up a Green Wall-like defence that would make Fenway Park jealous. The ML players had their fits trying to get into the offensive zone, cycle the ball and getting quality shots on net. Raza Zaidi's large presence in the crease covered all angles and the Warriors were reminicient of this year's Vancouver Canucks squad trying to find ways to put a shot on net that could break through the sprawling goalie's real estate.

The 2nd half was pretty much the same, but the ML players found themselves cycling a little better and putting on more pressure on the Greenbird defence a little more. The Birds were doing their part getting good shots on net on Chichwadia, but he was tremendous in turning them away, especially on a 2-on-1 play that would have resulted in sure championship clinching goal. With ML D-man Imtiaz Hatia off for tripping, Shoaib Patel on the penalty kill, beat Ammer Askary to the ball at the blueline and raced towards Osman Buttar who was backchecking. After taking a shot that went high and wide, it took an opportunistic bounce off the back wall right to a streaking Suleman Nakhuda who backhanded a slow roller into the empty cage with Zaidi out of position. The Malton Arena went nuts as the ML Warriors did something that people were having little hope of happening with just 1:52 left in a shorthanded situation. The Greenbird game plan changed and so did the whole atmosphere inside the sauna-like barn of an arena.

Both teams not only had to endure one OT period, but 2 OT periods and you can hear the heart beats of every player and every fan as the pressure was multiplied 100 times as the Salaam Cup was shined and ready to be held behind the players benches. Umar Chichwadia redeemed himself over and over again as he was stopping everything and also needed help with the goal post as Askary found himself curling around the net and threw a backhand high that found iron. The Warriors had their chances as a Talati-Imran 2on1 chance could not be converted. Imtiaz Hatia had a point blank shot from the slot which Zaidi kicked away with his right pad. But the best chance came with Safraz Motala playing like he was possessed on one shift almost twisting the knee caps off legend Ijaz Chaudhry, tried the wraparound, but Zaidi's right pad again saved the day.

The game was forced to go into shootouts. Safraz Motala tried first but failed as he deked to his backhand. Bilal Buttar's turn was next but the same move couldn't beat Chichwadia. Imran Patel's attempt had him deke and go to forehand, but not getting it up higher allowed Zaidi to stop him with his left pad. Ammer Askary found the back of the net however as he faked a shot and went to the backhand to give the Greenbirds a leg up in the shootout. The championship then fell on Zaidi's broad shoulders as he needed to stop Sufyan Memon on the next attempt. He didn't have to as the youngster couldnt even get a shot off on a deke. The Greenbirds mobbed their goaltender and captured their 5th Salaam Cup in franchise history.

The ML Warriors probably iced their best team in years. Umar Chichwadia was a machine as he racked up shut out after shut out and gave his team a chance to win in the finals even though he let in a questionable goal, but then again, Sajjid Ayubi's shooting prowess cannot be taken lightly. Speaking with captain & team MVP Imran Patel he knows that his team's chance in hoisting the Cup is coming as his squad boasts some of the youngest players that have the potential of turning into superstars and with a little more seasoning, ML will be on the winning end.

The Greenbirds have definitely raised the bar each and every year. This year, numerous players took part in the International Tournament in Slovakia and winning the B-Pool gold for Team Pakistan. The players however, found the Salaam Cup much more important as it is an event they have taken very seriously and it shows. The focus they showcase and the determination they exemplify on the floor is second to none and it is no wonder they now have 5 plates on the Cup. The Monks did what no team could do in 4 years last year, but that now seems like a pipe dream as the Birds are now back on top of the ball hockey world. Just watch the Greenbirds, watch what they can do, watch how they get it done. That is the only way a team can become a dynasty. On a side note, Bilal Buttar won this year's MVP award.

Held onto a 3-2 lead in defeating Markham to take the B-Pool Championship to Quebec.

For the first time in Salaam Cup history, a non-Ontario ball hockey organization has captured a championship. This time it was the B-Pool trophy and now rests in the hands of the Montreal Rebels. Mr Everything Sharaz Yunis who's not only the captain and GM, but also the backbone backstopper for these Red Giants. Sharaz allowed this team to make its debut last year and since that time, has shown vast improvement by going all the way to the finals and taking home the B-Pool gold away from the favourite Markham team. Markham itself boasted a high calibre-like offence with players such as Abdul-Lateef Sayyad, Aadil Kadva, Fasih Khawaja and some acrobatic goaltending from Rahil Ahmed.

Both teams were timid from the start as this was probably the biggest game in both clubs' short history. With Hamza Shakil at the point in the offensive zone, he got bodied off the ball by Rebel Youssef Shariff who went all the way, cut in front of the net and tucked it by Rahil to make it 1-0 just 3:23 into the game. Markham seemed to get a little confused and the heat and long weekend looked as if it caught up to them. Their legs were giving out on them and the Montrealers were pounding them into the boards eventually causing the Markhamites to cough up the ball. Just 56 seconds later, the Rebels were pressing. Markham had a couple of chances to clear the zone, but weak shoot out attempts were immediately cut off and the pressure was maintained. With 3 Markham players around their own net, miscommunication took place and Zubair Wahid eventually found a loose ball and tucked it behind a desperately diving Rahil to give their team a 2-0 lead. Something Markham has never done this whole tournament. Recognizing that his team was in disarray, captain Shahbaz Jamal made a smart move in calling their only timeout of the game. It looked as if it worked as his Black and Gold players turned it up a notch. Isa Khan changed the face of the game as he made a dazzling end to end rush using his size, strength and speed to get into the offensive zone, get knocked down, get back up, grab the loose ball, cut in front to slot and fire a wrister pass the glove of Sharaz to cut the lead to one with just under 5mins to go in the 1st half. Much needed life to a team that looked as if they were completely dead.

In the second, Markham and the Rebels traded chances and both goalies stood tall. However, Markham looked to be much more energetic as the young legs of Sayyad and Isa were buzzing in and around the Rebels net area. With that energy, they managed to draw a penalty. As Zubair Wahid was off for tripping, Sayyad received a nice pass from Omar Syed who then made no mistake beating Sharaz to tie the game up at 2's to create a momentum swing in his team's favour. However, it was not to be. Montreal found a way to silence the crowd and re-ignite their own fans who have come along for the ride as a broken play in the Markham zone with a shot from Fasil Khan was stopped, but as Rahil went to smother it, the ball squirted out in a mad scramble and Mohammed Lasania picked up the garbage and slid it home to give his team a 3-2 lead just 1:28 after Markham tied it. From there on in, Markham pressed and pressured, but the goaltending of Sharaz Yunis was unbelievable as he was pelted with 18 shots on the game. The best opportunity for Markham came on the powerplay with just 55 seconds left as the Rebels' Youssef Shariff was sent off for interference. Markham buzzed and pulled out all the stops and literally at the last second, Fasih Khawaja found himself with the ball all alone in front of the net and one timed it high over on top of it just as the buzzer sounded. With that, the men in Red caused pandemonium on the floor as they rejoiced in winning their first championship.

Rahil Ahmed and Shahbaz Jamal have made significant strides in establishing ball hockey amongst their comrades from the town of Markham. This club has a very bright future as their young core already seem to be making noise in the Salaam Cup. The tournament is a very rigorous one and it is not limited to just the Pool A teams. Markham has learned that the hard way and a huge lesson for them is to try and conserve some of that energy if they are to go far just like how Montreal has. Isa Khan - brother of Aadil Khan - was an absolute monster for his team and for that, he was awarded the finalists MVP.

There is no other word that describes Sharaz Yunis other than 'classy'. Sharaz is a very positive role-model not only for his teammates, but to all players that pick up a stick. His calm demeanor and positive attitude was a big reason why his team seemed to be cool and collective in such a pressure-cooker type situation. While he took care of his end between the pipes, his defence and offence played their roles almost to perfection by keeping it simple in their respective zones. They didnt score much, but at the same time, they didnt give up much in terms of goals either the whole tournament. Because of his achievements, Sharaz Yunis himself was named the B-Pool champions MVP and he seems to have a lot left for future tournaments.

CLICK GRAPHIC ABOVE TO READ PREVIEWS

06.31.11
The 2011 Salaam Cup Schedule
Released

click here to download schedule

click here to download roster waiver form

05.23.11
The 2011 Salaam Cup (Senior)
4-Day Tournament in July!

July 14 - Tomken Arena - 7pm to 11pm
July 15 -Tomken Arena - 7pm to 11pm
July 16 - Cawthra Arena *NEW* - ALL DAY
July 17 - Malton Arena - ALL DAY
Mississauga, Ontario

Teams Confirmed: (not in any specific order)

POOL A:

1) Malton Slappers (Azhar Hussain)
2) Shaolin Monks (Naveed Sheraly)
3) Greenbirds (Osman Buttar/Ali Wadee)
4) Rexdale Dragons (Imran Syed)
5) Red Army (Kaz Akbar)
6) Donlands A (Feisal Tilly)
7) ML Warriors (Imran Patel)
8) Montreal Islamique (Faisal Shahabuddin)

POOL B:

1) Crescent Knights (Zia Bangash)
2) Blade Runners (Salman Alvi)
3) Scarborough (Shahid Bulbulia)
4) Markham (Rahil Ahmed)
5) Fighting Camels (Asim Gauhar)
6) GTA Youngstars (Huzaifa Manjra)
7) Green Knights (Saqib Sheikh)
8) Dynamo (Ahmed Mobin)
9) Montreal Rebels (Sharaz Yunus)
10) Donlands B (Mohammed Chohan)
11) Saracens (Hashim Qureshi)
12) BC Islam (Rizwaan Abbas)

ROSTER AND WAIVER FORM DOWNLOAD

07.27.11
The 2011 U-18 YoungStars Classic
absolutely electric!

15-18yrs division's Brampton Greenlite crowned Jr. Salaam Cup Champions

Scarborough's 10-14 age group team takes the championships in their division.