Special Oympics Team Challenges Ravens in Hoops

It was hoops with a heart Sunday afternoon when the Ravens hockey team joined the Royal Oak Hot Shots Special Olympics teams for basketball and camaraderie.

The unusual matchup has been going on for years. Special Olympics coach Barry Cowan guesses the Ravens have stopped by to hang out with his hoopsters at least 15 times throughout the years.

“I admire everything about these guys,” said Cowan of the hockey players. “No one tells them they have to come. They come out because they want to.”

Junior Trey Sobelewski, a left wing for the Ravens, admitted he doesn’t really play a lot of basketball.

“Hockey is really our forte,” he said. “We're just here to have some fun.”

Senior defenseman Frankie Harlick agreed. “We really like hanging out with the guys,” Harlick said. “We know a couple of them. They are very competitive.”

Like many of his teammates, the only sport junior defenseman Cam Russell plays is hockey. “I don’t think we even have a chance to beat them,” he said.

No one can blame the Ravens for being a little nervous. The Hot Shots have a reputation of being a driven bunch. Last year, the team made it all the way to the .

Hot Shots forward Phil Cowan said he looked forward to a good competition.

"We have some really good players," he said. "They won't have an advantage on us."

The two-hour get-together included a game of basketball, plus a dribbling contest and 3-point shootout challenge.

“I just love watching the interaction between the teams,” Cowan said. “They hug each other and cheer each other on. As a Special Olympics coach, I can’t tell you how much that means to me."