By admin 
TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — A group of Arizona State University hockey players sent a letter to President Michael Crow Monday that painted a vastly different picture of a workout that caused a fellow player to collapse compared to the university’s report, and called for staff responsible to be placed on leave.
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Seven members of the hockey team signed the letter anonymously regarding the Aug. 20 workout, which was held outdoors. Matthew Mayich, 21, a defenseman who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues, is still in the hospital and unlikely to fully recover.
The letter called for the staff responsible for the workout to be put on administrative leave and for an interim coaching staff to be named as the investigation continues. They also want an outside agency to conduct the investigation.
The players’ letter claims the workout’s instructor, Timothy Ziesel, a former Green Beret, was brought in on a handshake with no background check and no confirmed safety certifications, which goes against ASU’s outside consultants policy.
The players said the outside workout started at 7:05 a.m., and it lasted roughly an hour and 15 minutes, not 45 minutes like ASU said. It was originally described as a team-building exercise, but in reality it was a military-style conditioning session, the players said.
They said only one water break was given to players, which happened about 35 to 45 minutes into the workout, not 20 minutes like ASU’s report said. “It lasted seconds,” and only eight players got water, the letter said, and Mayich wasn’t one of them.
ASU’s report said the workout included calisthenics and was held outside when temperatures were around 86 to 89 degrees.
But the letter said ASU relied on a weather station a mile away rather than on-field temperature measurements, which they said, citing ASU research, usually run several degrees cooler than actual field conditions.
The anonymous players also said in the letter that the workout continued even though “some of us showed signs of distress, including dropping to a knee” and throwing up.
The ASU 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.
The players said Mayich showed signs he was disoriented and had trouble keeping his balance well before he collapsed just before 8:30 a.m.
The attorney for Mayich’s family said Mayich suffered a heatstroke and a “catastrophic brain injury.”
Reports said an athletic trainer used iced towels and water to cool him before calling first responders.
But the letter said there was no cold-water immersion tub or ice on-site, which is required by ASU policy. No one took Mayich’s core temperature, and the trainer allegedly sat Mayich upright twice, which goes against standard guidance for someone who has collapsed and is confused.
After Mayich was taken to the hospital, the players claim ASU head coach Greg Powers told them Mayich’s condition was “just a little heat stroke” and “heat exhaustion” that he had seen “a million times.”
After the ambulance left, Powers also reportedly told the players they were working closer to making the Frozen Four because of the workout and Mayich pushed himself to the maximum.
The next day, Powers said that he had “good news” and that Mayich was going to be fine, the players said.
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The players also said Mayich was not acclimated to the desert heat yet since he had only been in Arizona eight days with minimal prior outdoor exposure.
The players’ letter is similar to the family attorney’s allegations, including that the workout was military-style and that players were denied water if they failed a station.
The players sent the letter anonymously through attorney Timothy J. Casey out of fear of retaliation. The letter said several other members of the team shared their concerns and questions, but opted not to join the letter for fear of retaliation for speaking the truth.
“We are submitting this report anonymously because we fear retaliation from the coaching staff,” the letter said. “That fear is not directed at one person. The head coach and his assistant coaches were all on the field on August 20, all remain in their positions, and together they decide our playing time, scholarship levels, and roster status. No one has separated us from them since that morning.”
The Arizona State police department is investigating the incident and a report will be sent to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for independent review when completed.
On Monday evening, Republican leadership in both chambers of the state Legislature called on the Arizona Board of Regents to approve an independent investigation into the workout.
They cited the players’ letter and questions about whether ASU followed its own policies for the workout.
“ASU should not be left to investigate its own conduct and decide whether anyone should be held accountable,” House Education Committee Chairman Matt Gress said in an emailed statement.
Gress and Senate Education Committee Chairman Hildy Angius called for protections against retaliation for the hockey players and witnesses involved.
“Student-athletes should never have to choose between telling the truth and protecting their scholarship, roster spot, or playing time,” Chairman Angius said. “If players fear retaliation for speaking about what happened to a teammate, the Regents need to act. They should protect these students and appoint an investigator who answers to the Board, not ASU.”
During media availability Wednesday, Powers declined to answer questions regarding the workout.
He also did not say whether he held himself accountable for what happened to Mayich or about concerns over the workouts.
Powers said he was still qualified to be the head coach.
“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,” Powers said.
The Blues drafted Mayich in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL draft, but he never signed an entry-level contract. The Stoney Creek, Ontario, native played four seasons with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League before playing at Clarkson University last season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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