Solace at the rink
After losing his wife two days before the season opener, Marshall boys hockey coach Kori Pearson returned to the bench to lead the TigersBy Dan Gilland dgilland@marshallindependent.com
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MARSHALL Kori Pearson glides across the ice, running drills, calling out tips, getting his team ready for what he knows is a big game.
It's Wednesday afternoon. The next evening, the Marshall boys hockey team is set to face New Ulm, a team undefeated in the South Central Conference. Pearson, head coach of the Tigers, knows his team will need to be sharp.
By focusing his players on their game, Pearson is distracting himself.
During these brief times each day, he's getting his mind off of Sadie.
But when Pearson leaves the ice, his mind goes back to Sadie, the 32-year-old wife he lost on Thanksgiving. Sadie Pearson died from meningitis complicated by her lupus on Nov. 26. Kori has had trouble finding enough sleep. He's suddenly a single father with one son in second grade and another just nine months old.
"She was my best friend," Pearson said. "It's tough, her not being around. Everything's a reminder."
For the 34-year-old Pearson, now in his sixth season as head coach of Marshall, the daily practices and games have helped to take his mind away from the tragedy that hit two days before the Tigers' season opener.
"Hockey's been my whole life," Pearson said, "and just the distraction part has been so helpful."
A best friend
Pearson grew up in Manitoba, Canada, where he picked up hockey around the age of five. He competed at the highest midget level available in Manitoba, and eventually went on to play at Minot State-Bottineau (N.D.) before finishing his career at Concordia-Moorhead.
It was during his first year at Bottineau when Kori met Sadie. She didn't play hockey, but was well-versed in the game. Her father, Gary Warren, was the head coach at Minot State. Kori played under him, and eventually landed a coaching job under Warren at Minnesota, Crookston.
Kori and Sadie were married in 2000.
Sadie was diagnosed with lupus in 2003. Kori said Sadie was taking care of her body, and with the help of her doctors, things were going well. She gave birth to a son, Kroix, just nine months ago without problems.
"She was on top of (her lupus)," Kori said. "She was on top of pretty much everything. She was real organized that way."
For Kori, Sadie was a pair of ears he could voice his coaching frustrations to. It was Sadie who would remind Kori in the spring that they needed to get graduation gifts for his senior players. She would attend games, and tuned her radio in to Tiger road games.
"For me to have a passion like that and for her to care about it meant a lot," Kori said.
But in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Sadie began feeling ill. Kori said she started to come back around briefly, but went backward on the Wednesday before her death.
"She felt terrible in the morning," Kori said. "We took her to the hospital at noon, and from then on it was pretty much a nightmare."
Tigers assistant coach Scott Mellenthin has worked with Pearson since he became head coach in 2003, and had gotten to know Sadie.
"I had been at work all night and he had told me late that night that she was in," Mellenthin said. "Every time she got sick we were worried about her. With lupus, everything can be serious, and I knew that. I just felt like it was different this time and just seemed really bad."
The next morning, Tigers forward Dereck Deutz was awoken to the news by his mother.
"It was heart-stopping for a second," Deutz said.
If not for Sadie's meningitis, Kori said she would still be alive.
Coming back to the bench
Pearson came to the Tigers' first games at Lyon County Ice Arena this season. He wanted to watch, but knew he couldn't return to the bench.
"As I was watching I was getting excited and anxious," Pearson said. "I wanted to be out there just for the distraction of it, but I knew I wasn't ready to take over."
Instead, Mellenthin stepped in for Pearson. The Tigers started the season 4-0. Mellenthin said the team rallied around Pearson.
"I think that's why we got off to a good start," Mellenthin said, "just because everyone kind of had a common goal, just to show up at the rink and feel better about everything and play hard."
By mid-December, Pearson was coming to practices. He immediately gathered his players and sought to reassure them.
"We had to sit down and I had to say, 'You know what? I'm here. I'm your coach. I'm not bringing anything with me,'" Pearson said.
On Dec. 17 against Redwood Valley, Pearson made his return to bench.
Finding strength
Pearson's sons, Xander, a second-grader, and Kroix, nine months old, have grown closer since losing their mother. Pearson said things have been hard for Xander, who he said doesn't fully understand what's happened. Pearson mentioned the importance of Xander in helping Kroix cope when he gets older.
"I think it'll be helpful that his older brother will know and be able to help," Pearson said. "I think the biggest thing, we'll just tell him how much his mom loved him."
Mellenthin said the team understands how much hockey means to Pearson right now.
"We know that that's his fun part of the day," Mellenthin said. "He's got a lot of responsibilities at home now he's got to do by himself, and getting up here is his fun."
A feel-good win
Practice is ending now, and Pearson's players come to center ice, kneeling in a circle around their coach.
Pearson stands at the center of the circle and delivers a pep talk for the game against New Ulm. He tells his players that they're an underdog story in the contest. They're not supposed to win, he says.
"All I'm asking for is your best effort," Pearson tells the team.
The next night, the Tigers skate off the same ice with a 3-2 overtime victory. It's a big one, with the postseason a few games away. Marshall and New Ulm are in the same section.
Tigers defenseman Evan VanderZiel would like a long playoff run for his coach.
"It'd be really nice," VanderZiel said.
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StevieB
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02-09-10 11:29 PM
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outstanding article Mr. Gilland
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bucketfoot
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02-09-10 10:06 PM
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Good story, well told.
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ruralroute
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02-09-10 6:24 PM
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what a tragedy for the Pearson family. Thoughts and prayers with them...
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