The comatose Arizona State University hockey player may have been in metro Phoenix for less than a week before being allowed to participate in a military-style outdoor workout, potentially violating the school's heat policy.
Athletes are supposed to be acclimatized, or exposed, to the heat gradually over seven to 14 days by steadily increasing the intensity and duration of activity in the sun, according to a review of Athletic Department guidelines by The Arizona Republic.
Matthew Mayich had been in the Phoenix area "five days max" when his family's lawyer said the 21-year-old suffered exertional heatstroke and collapsed on Aug. 20 during a series of drills led by an ex-Green Beret on the first day of class.
The Republic identified other potential
violations of the Sun Devil Athletics' "Exertional Heat Illness Policy" based on a description of what happened to Mayich provided by Phoenix lawyer Robert Carey,n
"His heart is fine. His brain is not," Carey said on Sept. 3. "There's no mystery here. It's heatstroke."
A number of provisions could have protected the Canadian native before the 50-minute workout, during the exercises and after he fell to the ground near the end — if they had been followed.
Mayich was not immediately rushed to a cooling station or dunked in an ice bath when he fell down at the ASU track; he was instead left on the ground for several minutes, Carey said.
"They didn't have any cooling plan in place," he said.
School guidelines say the first choice for treating heat illness "is with immediate cold water immersion," even if an athlete is fully clothed. They say "a cold tub half-filled with water" should be ready for immediate use. Three to four coolers of ice should be next to the tub to use in case of emergency.
Athletes suffering from heat illness should be moved from direct sunlight and heat to an indoor space with air conditioning, according to the guidelines. If that's not possible, they should be moved into the shade where fans can be used to cool them.
Tempe Fire Medical Rescue crews responded at 8:30 a.m. to ASU's Joe Selleh Track for calls of a heat-related illness. Mayich was rushed to a hospital and later transferred to Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, where he has remained in a coma.
His family has maintained a daily prayer vigil that has drawn hundreds of people from all over the world. They want time to "give the chance for a miracle," Casey said.
ASU officials would not comment on specific policies. They acknowledged the heat guidelines in a Sept. 3 statement but did not say if they were followed:
"Student athletes regularly practice outside, under coach and trainer supervision," the statement said.
The ASU Police Department began investigating the circumstances of Mayich's collapse after getting the 911 call, "as they would anytime they are called to a serious incident," officials said in the statement.
The university has also promised a separate review of everything surrounding the workout.
Heat index showed conditions were at, or near, high risk
When the hockey team met the former Special Forces veteran for the first of a planned three-day workout after 7 a.m., conditions were approaching the high range on the university's heat-stress index of temperature and humidity.
And by 8 a.m., conditions had surpassed it. Multiple sites that collect weather data show the temperature was between 87 and 89 degrees with 49% humidity.
The heat-stress index is broken into three tiers: low, moderate and high.
For "high" conditions, "Only fit and heat acclimatized athletes can participate, still use extreme caution. Practice modifications may be necessary."
Even "moderate" conditions come with a warning that "heat sensitive and unacclimatized athletes may suffer." The guidelines say to use caution during prolonged activity.
Student athletes are supposed to undergo a pre-participation physical to identify those who have a history of exertional heat illness or have pre-existing conditions that could put them at risk.
Guidelines say 911 should be called if an athlete experiences:
- An altered level of consciousness.
- A core body temperature that cannot be assessed or one that reaches 103 degrees
- Becomes A-B-C compromised, meaning airway, breathing, or circulation is blocked or fails.
- Cramping in more than 50% of the body.
Carey said he has interviewed multiple players and has learned Mayich showed obvious signs of distress during the workout and was unable to complete tasks as it progressed, Carey said.
"He was disoriented and struggled well before he collapsed," he said.
Players were forced to go through a series of intensive workouts without standard breaks while the ex-soldier "yelled at them from the get-go ... like a drill instructor," Carey said. They were told not to complain, and water was available only to those in the lead of exercises, leaving little for those who trailed, he said.
Carey has accused ASU of mishandling the investigation into Mayich's collapse. Coaches and team staff have continued overseeing players, who fear retaliation, such as the loss of scholarships or positions, if they speak out, he said.
No effort has been made to sequester the hockey players from the coaching staff who oversaw the workout, he said.
Head coach Greg Powers and a team trainer have not responded to requests for comment.
ASU Athletic Director Graham Rossini has declined comment to The Republic. On Aug. 28, he downplayed the university's investigation on the Burns and Gambo Show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
“This is not an investigation where somebody’s suggesting something went wrong. We’re just reviewing the facts and understanding the scenario," he said.
No explanation for why hockey players needed an outdoor workout
Heat guidelines say athletes should train in conditions similar to the ones in which they compete. For hockey, that means on ice.
"Training sessions should occur within the same conditions that will occur during competition," the guidelines state.
There was no explanation for why hockey players needed to be trained outdoors.
Tim Ziesel, the ex-Green Beret who led the workout, said he volunteered to lead the workout at Powers' request. Ziesel has led similar exercises for years at Arizona Christian University.
Social posts from the men's basketball team in 2022 thanked Ziesel for lessons on being "men of character, meekness, and integrity."
The Republic was the first to identify and interview Ziesel. He said he left the workout before Mayich collapsed.
Ziesel's attorney, Buddy Rake of Phoenix, denied the workout was extreme and said it resembled a military exercise only in cadence and team-building.
"This was not a Green Beret or SEAL workout. Far from it," Rake said in an Aug 27 interview. "The head coach, assistant coaches and medical were always present."
Ziesel ran the players through 45-50 minutes of sprints, push-ups and flutter kicks. He also had them lift and carry teammates, Rake said. Later exercises included running with medicine balls, but Ziesel was gone before the players finished, he said.
Ziesel is willing to meet with Mayich's parents, Rake said.
Mayich was drafted by an NHL team in 2023
Mayich came to ASU after being drafted by the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.
Mayich, a sophomore defenseman from Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada, near Hamilton, was in his first year in the program.
Mayich was part of a 2026 ASU transfer portal class that ranked first in the country. He appeared in 34 games, tallying seven goals and eight assists in his freshman season at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York.
Before playing at Clarkson, he spent four years with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League, appearing in more than 250 games, scoring 106 points over his career. He was selected by the Blues in the sixth round (No. 170 overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Drafted players retain their college status while NHL teams hold their exclusive signing rights.
At the Sept. 3 prayer service, Mayich's family and friends joined strangers in beseeching the Lord for his recovery.
"We pray for Matthew this morning in a very special way," said Deacon Mike Dalessandro, who led the rosary. "We all mystically join him and hold our hands high above him and pray like Jesus, we ask that you heal him, to bring him to fullness of health, to wake him up, that he may rise."
Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Reach him at robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X @robertanglen.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU heat policies raise questions about life-threatening workout | Exclusive
