ASU hockey coach defends leadership after player’s workout collapse

TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — Arizona State University hockey head coach Greg Powers read a statement Wednesday about one of his players collapsing during a workout last month before saying he’s still the right guy to coach.

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Powers said it’s been “a very difficult time for everybody in our program” since ASU hockey player Matthew Mayich, 21, collapsed during an outdoor team workout the morning of Aug. 20.

Mayich has been in the hospital ever since and is unlikely to recover, an attorney for Mayich’s family said.

Powers said he would not be answering questions during Wednesday’s media availability regarding the incident and wanted to talk about the hockey season. He declined to answer questions about whether he held himself accountable for what happened to Mayich or about concerns over the workouts.

While Powers said there have been conversations about him stepping aside in the middle of the investigation, he stressed he still feels qualified to lead the team.

“Twenty years of experience here and a lot of success with developing relationships that I value very much,” he said. “Not everything is going to go perfectly. I am certainly far from that, but I think that there are a great majority of young men that have played here over the course of almost 20 years that would say that, and they contact me, text me and reach out to me in this incredibly difficult time and have reminded me of that.”

When asked if the workouts have changed at all since the incident, Powers said he does not organize the workouts.

“I don’t run workouts. Our strength and conditioning coach does, and our guys are here every day working hard and preparing their minds and bodies and each other for the season ahead,” he said.

Team rallies around Mayich

Powers said he has been in contact with Mayich’s family, and a handful of players have visited him in the hospital.

During the opening statement that he read with little emotion, he said the team has come together during this difficult time.

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“For us, being with each other, both at the rink and away from the rink, is what is helping us most,” Powers said.

ASU hockey junior Benth Muthersbaugh said it has been a difficult month.

“It has been a tough time around here,” he said. “You can’t plan for the unexpected, so it has been tough for a lot of guys that are, you know, 18 to 24 years old to go through something like this … especially with someone who was going to be one of our brothers and one of our best friends … Being together at the rink has been kind of a good escape route for a lot of guys. We’ve just got to keep coming to the rink every day with him in our mind, and it is always bigger than hockey.”

What ASU’s report said happened

The news conference came a day after ASU released a report that detailed what happened during the Aug. 20 workout.

It said the workout included calisthenics and was held outside from 7 to 8:30 a.m. when temperatures were around 86 to 89 degrees.

The report said Mayich was in one of the last groups to complete this exercise. While he was running, he appeared to struggle and then fell to the ground.

After Mayich did not get up, the trainer used iced towels and water to cool him before calling first responders.

The report also recommended changes to the school’s athletic program protocols.

Leonard Aragon, an attorney for Mayich’s family, said the university did not follow its original protocols and was not ready for an emergency.

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