Shell struggles in 3-3 tie.

The heavily favored Shell team could do no better than a tie, and they needed a late goal from one of their disgruntled defensemen to even get the draw.

How funny that two defensemen combined for all the goals in this game. Rick Bobrycki for Mobil and Trevor Hanson for Shell each had a hat trick in the 3-3 tie.

"You could see it on Trevor's face that he couldn't believe his team was losing 3-2 in the third," said Tripp Talbot. "Then he went out and tied the game all on his own."

Tripp did stop just short of bowing down at the altar of Trevor, as Tripp explained if there was a Bobby Orr in the BBHC it would be himself, not Trevor.

Mobil was once again without Tony Onello, and the Lords of the Boards still have not approved a suitable sub.

The navy team was also without Paul Albano, but according to goalie Mike Vieira, "Albano is still unproven in the playoffs."

And with all that stacked against them, the last place 6-6 Mobil team managed a tie with the first place 6-6 Shell team.

"It sure didn't feel like 6-6," continued Tripp. "It felt more like 0-12."

Shell had all their big guns in the line up, but Maffeo and Long went virtually pointless.

"I'm the regular season scoring leader, I can't do it all," said Maffeo.

"Do you think we could talk about my hat trick? Even for just a minute?" said a unusually quiet Rick Bobrycki.

Next week it's winner take all, for the right to play Citgo in the finals.