ASU hockey player left in coma after disputed heat-intensive workout, family demands probe
Arizona State sophomore defenseman Matthew Mayich collapsed during a 106-degree practice and remains in a coma, with his family accusing the university of a botched emergency response and unauthorized use of an outside trainer.
During a late-summer practice on Aug. 20, 21-year-old Arizona State hockey player Matthew Mayich collapsed and has been in a coma ever since. Family attorneys allege that Mayich exhibited disorientation and inability to complete tasks before the incident, yet coaches and teammates allegedly left him on the field without basic care such as ice or a bath. The workout, overseen by former Green Beret Tim Ziesel, reportedly reached 106 degrees and was described by the family as a military-style regimen that punished athletes who slowed down or drank water.
ASU’s policies require outside consultants to be vetted and to sign a consultant police form, a step the trainer’s lawyer says was skipped. The university’s one outlet director says the school is conducting a review, not an investigation, while the family is urging the Phoenix Police Department, the state attorney general, or the Department of Public Safety to launch an independent inquiry. Additional issues include the rapid return of Mayich from Canada to his first practice and alleged non-compliance with National one outlet Trainers’ Association heat-illness guidelines.
Why it matters
The case raises questions about athlete safety, emergency response, and compliance with university health protocols.
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