Greenbirds Capture Fourth Straight Salaam Cup Championship

Captain Ijaz Chaudhry was back at his usual spot Sunday night, lifting the Salaam Cup once more, as the Greenbirds captured their fourth straight championship. The Greenbirds defeated the ML Warriors 3-0 in the Championship final, avenging a very tough round robin defeat, a 4-0 loss. It was by no means an easy tournament, as teams and players are drastically improving and developing younger talent, however in the end the result as the same. Osman Buttar was finally awarded the Salaam Cup MVP, displaying a goal-scoring streak which propelled the team to the championship victory. His game-winner was a classic Buttar goal, a quick one-timer which no goalie would have stopped, however it’s his team first mentality, organization and dedication to winning that makes him a leader on and off the floor.

Even before the ball dropped, there was a buzz in the arena, as the stands were jam-packed and fans couldn’t wait to see the outcome of the finals. Everyone knew that on the floor, the two teams simply did not like each other, and wanted to do whatever it took to win. Adding more drama to the finals, was the 4-0 defeat the ‘Birds were handed during the round robin play, a loss which made them look vulnerable defensively and potentially unable to handle the speed of ML’s forwards. However, with a slight change in tactics, the ‘Birds knew they could beat ML, and lift the trophy once more, which is exactly what took place. The Greenbirds forecheck stymied the ML defence and did not allow them to clear the defensive zone. From the first faceoff, the ‘Birds barraged the offensive zone, making sure no battles were lost and every loose ball found. Eventually the forecheck tired the ML defence and many scoring chances created. Osman Buttar would open the scoring, after a nice rush by brother Bilal Buttar to the slot area, he fed a crisp pass to a wide open Osman, who made no mistake and one-timed the opener. Brother Bilal also had a great tournament, although playing hurt, he was able to play sparingly in other games and kept his strength for the finals. So no one was surprised when Bilal, after winning a battle in the corners, walked straight in front of the net and put a soft wrist shot past the ML netminder to make the lead 2-0. The final dagger came in the second half on a powerplay, when defenceman Ahmed Chaudhry blasted a slapshot from the point which eluded everyone including the goaltender.

Both Greenbirds goaltenders produced some great results. Rizwan Ali played very well in a backup role. Ali started three games and won all three giving up only 1 goal in the three games and only 2 goals all tournament. Yasar Razvi won his third straight championship while also avenging his only finals loss vs ML in the very first Salaam Cup tournament five years earlier. Razvi played amazing during the playoff rounds allowing 1 goal in three games, which was an unstoppable deflection off a forward’s foot.

Forwards Sajjid Ayubi and Usama Mahmood played their usual role, scoring goals, creating chances and tiring out the opposing defences. Their offensive abilities are integral to any Greenbirds success at any level of hockey. Ammer Askary was also a huge bright spot during the playoff rounds. Unable to play on Saturday due to personal seasons, Askary was simply unstoppable on Sunday, creating chance after chance on the offensive rush, using both his speed and stick handling to make defenders look silly. His partnership with Osman Buttar and Bilal Buttar simply had no chance to be stopped and eventually led to scoring chances and ultimately goals.

On the defensive end, stalwarts Ijaz and Ahmed Chaudhry played their usual roles, making defensive stops, while joining the rush offensively when the time was right. Sami Choudhry also played a big role in stopping the ML offense during the finals, his ability to keep up with the opposing forwards as long as playing his physical game, created a big advantage to the ‘Birds. Finally Ali Wadee, who dropped down to play defence at the last minute, played a tight defensive game and played admirably the entire tournament. He was also able to chip in with a couple goals, while keeping opposing chances to a minimal.

The tournament produced some great moments for the franchise, as it worked its way to its fourth straight trophy, solidifying its reputation as the best Muslim ball hockey team in Canada. We will see what happens next year, however the entire team remains confident that it can win its fifth straight title next year and continue its reign as the best team around.

Green Birds THREE-PEAT as Salaam Cup Champs!

The Green Birds ball hockey team secured their third straight Salaam Cup Championship Sunday night as they once again defeated the Montreal Islamique 2-1. The Championship Finals was a tightly fought contest with lots of action and excitement. The finals also displayed the team's depth of character players, as an unlikely hero would prevail to grab MVP honours. Ali Wadee stepped up his performances for all four playoff games putting up 2G & 2A in the knockout stages. However it was his two dramatic goals in the finals that led organizers to crown him the Finals MVP.

 
The finals started off very quickly, with action in both zones. Both teams were looking to use their speed to beat opposing defencemen and then cycle or pass their way into better scoring position. Then mid-way through the half, Wadee was able to take a pass from the tournaments scoring leader, Bilal Buttar, and calmly pick the stick side past Montreal's netminder. An emphatic celebration would result. Montreal would later tie the score with the man advantage, and putting the Birds' back on their heels. The half came to an end at the perfect time for the Green Birds, as they were able to recompose themselves and get back to their running ways. After the break, they quickly put the pressure back on Montreal's defenders with great cycling and ball possession from the trio of Usama Mahmoud, Sajjid Ayubi and Rizwan Kalair. The line played extremely well in both the semi-finals and finals. Their effort gave the Islamique defence fits and slowly tired them out. But they just couldn't produce a goal from all the work.
 
But then an unfortunate play led to the dismissal of Assistant captain Osman Buttar. Buttar made an attempt to win the battle for the ball, but slammed into the Montreal forward, who seemed to be extremely rattled on the play. A short delay ensued, as they made sure the player was alright. After the delay, Buttar was assessed a four minute penalty and a game-misconduct. It seemed bleak for the Green Birds. Buttar was one of the teams best players and motivators and also was second in tournament scoring, only to his brother and linemate, Bilal Buttar.
 
The team took the ejection as a challenge, and would definitely try winning the game for Buttar. On the insuing Montreal powerplay, the Green Birds penalty killers were relentless and would not give the Islamique any clear shots or shooting lanes. It took a great effort, but the team was able to kill off the entire four minutes with few or no clear scoring chances.
 
Then with less than eight minutes to play Ali Wadee struck again for the Birds'. Wadee was able to find a loose ball after a pass attempt and from just outside the blue line, picked the blocker side top corner with a laser slap shot. Another emphatic celebration put the Green Bird bench in a frenzy and put them back in the lead. Wadee almost completed the hat trick only three mins later, but a big save from the Islamique goaltender prevented it. 
 
In the end, the goal stood as the game winner and the Green Birds will have their third straight team plaque on the Salaam Cup. But its also important to mention that this time around, the tournament was much mThis tournament was even harder due to many players the team was missing due to injuries aore competitive and there was a higher level of hockey. Green Bird goaltender Yassar Razvi also had an outstanding tournament, only conceding three goals in seven matches. There were times when it seemed nothing would beat him, and every championship team has a great goalie between the pipes. Razvi completed his second championship with the Birds' and ended the tournament with three shutouts. Veteran Ahmed Chaudhry, who missed the first two games of the event, came out Saturday and Sunday and brought leadership, stability and hard nosed defense to the team. Brothers Sami and Omar Choudhry also did the same, bringing a rough-edged defensive approach, that many teams might not have appreciated, but what is always needed to win the tough and close playoff games. Emmad Khawaja also captured his first trophy in four tries. Khawaja played for different teams in the first three years, but came back to the Green Birds after last seasons tournament. His physical game play and ability to fight off defenders is always invaluable. Junaid Mohammad also had a great tournament providing depth at forward and key goals. He once again provided the game winner in the semi-finals, something he has done two straight years.
 
All in all, the entire team played extremely well and have once again left their imprint on the Muslim ball hockey community. The Birds' also completed the hat trick of championships without two of their more important players. Forward Farhan Raja was unable to compete due to a dislocation in his finger, which occurred just days leading upto the games. Captain Ijaz Chaudhry also missed the majority of the tournament due to a previous commitment while also enduring through a hamstring injury. Chaudhry did play in the finals, but with limited shifts.
 
We will see what will unfold in the 2009 Salaam Cup and if the Green Birds can make it four straight championships.

Click HERE for final Salaam Cup Statistics