Arizona State University Hockey Incident Leads to Coach’s Administrative Leave

Arizona State University (ASU) has temporarily removed its hockey coach, Greg Powers, from his position. This decision follows the incident where a player, Matthew Mayich, collapsed during a workout and is still hospitalized. Assistant coach Mike Corbett will step in temporarily, with plans to announce an interim coach soon. The duration of Powers’ leave has not been specified by the university.

Matthew Mayich, a 21-year-old sophomore from Ontario, Canada, experienced the collapse during an exercise session on August 20. The Mayich family’s attorney, Robert Carey, has stated that Mayich is unlikely to recover, according to CBS affiliate KPHO-TV.

The university’s report indicates that Mayich was engaged in a “wind-down” exercise, involving running with a medicine ball, when he fell. The reported high temperature of the day exceeded 100 degrees, although the school claimed the exercise occurred when temperatures were between 86 to 89 degrees.

“When running, Matthew appeared to struggle, and then in rapid succession stumbled, dropped the medicine ball, and fell to the ground. He attempted to get up and resume running but fell to his knees,” the report stated.

After the fall, Mayich was instructed to stay down, and an athletic trainer attempted to cool him with iced towels and water. While initially responsive, Mayich’s condition declined. His parents, John and Christina, have criticized the school’s decision to place only Powers on leave, calling for a broader review of those involved in the workout.

Seven other athletes have challenged the university’s account of the incident. They sent a letter to ASU’s president, highlighting that the consultant managing the workout was unauthorised per policy. They claimed the session was longer than reported, lacked adequate water breaks, and ignored signs of distress among players.

These players, wishing to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation, pointed out that Mayich was deprived of water breaks and exhibited distress prior to his collapse. They also reported the absence of necessary emergency cooling equipment, such as cold-water immersion tubs.

The workout, led by Tim Ziesel, who previously spoke to the team about leadership and teamwork, was criticized in the players’ letter as “grueling” and “military-style.” Ziesel, a Navy Veteran and former coach, denied the use of military-style techniques, suggesting the workout was easy compared to high school sports regimes.

“There is no such thing as a military style workout other than calisthenics done to a cadence,” Ziesel stated. “The term ‘military style workout’ is a term that was made up out of thin air.”

Players allege that Mayich was left in the sun post-collapse, with limited cooling measures available. They have called for the suspension of staff responsible for overseeing the workout until an independent investigation concludes.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced via social media that the ASU Police Department is investigating the incident. Upon completion, her office will “review this matter at the highest level.”