Isherwood Boys a Success on Ice and Turf

By Dan Kinvig – Abbotsford News

Make no mistake, Pauline Isherwood is extremely proud to see her sons Mark and Matt moving onward and upward in their athletic careers.

But she could also tell you tales of trial and tribulation about raising a collection of strapping young jocks.                           

“Board games? We couldn’t play ‘em,” she related with a chuckle. “Monopoly always ended in a fight. They’re very competitive.”

And don’t even get started on the food bill. This summer, Pauline estimates she’s spending $400 per week on groceries to keep Mark and Matt properly fueled.

“And I still complain that there’s not enough food in the house,” Mark noted with a chuckle.

Whatever Pauline Isherwood is feeding her sons, it seems to be working. Mark, a 20-year-old defenceman with the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers, recently earned an invitation to rookie camp with the Boston Bruins. Younger brother Matt, 18, is off to Simon Fraser University this fall on a football scholarship.

Both siblings attribute a healthy amount of their athletic success to growing up in the same house. Even now, the Isherwood brothers – Mark, Matt and eldest brother Michael, 23 – work out daily in the basement of their parents’ Bradner farmhouse.

“We really go hard and push each other,” Mark said. “We go down there every day and get at ‘er, and this is probably the best shape I’ve ever been in.”

After playing sparingly during his first two years in the WHL, Mark emerged as a key contributor for the Tigers over the last two seasons. The 2008-09 campaign, in particular, qualified as a breakout season, as the smooth-skating blueliner racked up 19 goals and 23 assists in 72 games.

Those numbers drew the attention of several NHL clubs, and after weighing offers from the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers, Mark headed to Boston earlier this month for prospect development camp. He felt he turned in a good performance, but he won’t be satisfied until he earns a pro contract.

“It’s been my biggest goal for a few years,” he noted. “The biggest thing for me is being consistent. I can go out and have some real big games, and then fall into a slump. That’s kind of been my downfall, so I want to be consistent through the whole season.”

Matt, meanwhile, wrapped up a stellar high school football career with the Rick Hansen Hurricanes this past season. He was named to the provincial AA all-star team after leading the AA circuit in receiving yards with 868, and finishing second in receptions (45) and TD catches (seven).

The youngest Isherwood drew interest from both UBC and SFU, but elected to sign with the Clan because they pursued him the hardest. While he earned most of his high school fame as a receiver, he’ll play cornerback at SFU.

I don’t really care – I love to hit people and I love to catch touchdowns, so whatever they want me to do, I’m more than happy to do it,” Matt said.

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