MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO — The Arizona State hockey team opened its season with a victory in St. Louis, without its head coach and in the aftermath of a near-fatal workout that left a player on life support.
Up against the Lindenwood Lions, the Sun Devils won 5-0, with one player down. Nearly 1,550 miles away in Phoenix, Matthew Mayich lay in a hospital bed on life support and, according to his attorney, with zero chance of recovery.
On Aug. 20, The Ontario-born defenseman collapsed during an outdoor team training, stricken with an exertional heatstroke. The practice, led by an ex-Green Beret, has since come under fire by Mayich’s family and seven players, who said the workout included drill sergeant-esque commands and having water.
His jersey hung in the locker room, honoring his absence. And on the helmets of each player was a little yellow ribbon decal with a “27” plastered in the middle — Mayich’s uniform number.
The crowd at the Centene Community Ice Center in the St. Louis suburb of Maryland Heights was scarce, with few seats filled by Lindenwood fans and even fewer occupied by Sun Devils supporters.
Danny Sullivan, media communications coordinator for the team, declined to comment on the situation at the game. He said that the night would be focused on hockey.
Aside from the tributes, the night was just like any other hockey game. ASU’s coaches — including Mike Corbett, just named the temporary head coach before an interim coach is named — looked stoic but encouraging. Fans cheered on the Sun Devils who started the game strong with two goals by the end of the second period.
Upbeat music boomed throughout the arena as the Lindenwood cheerleaders performed.
But Mayich remained on the minds of several fans at the game, including Mark Kohloff and Logan Gurschke, who came to the arena to support their friend who plays on the team.
“I feel like more than ever the guys on the ice need fan support,” Gurschke said. “The guys went through something that they should never have to go through, and they deserve the support.”
Standing by Matthew Mayich
Kohloff echoed his friend’s sentiment.
“We’re here to support the players, and you know, be behind them, because they’ve been through a scary situation and something that is very tragic,” he said. “We’re praying for Matthew every day, and we want to be in support of his family as well.”
Stephen Sharr was decked out in Sun Devils gear while attending the game. An ASU alum now living in St. Louis, he said he always tries to support his alma mater’s teams whenever they’re in town.
He said the situation was tragic.
“It’s tough. Especially given Matthew’s connection to St. Louis,” Sharr said.
In 2023, Mayich was drafted by the St. Louis Blues. Mayich attended the team’s development camp at the same St. Louis arena in 2024.
“I think it’s just important for the team to get out on the ice,” Sharr said. “Now the season is here, hopefully it gives them a chance to kind of put that behind them a little bit, to the extent that they can, and you know, get out and play.”
Just before the game began, ASU announced that it hired former Supreme Court of Arizona Chief Scott Bales to conduct an independent review of the workout.
“ASU has finally agreed to bring someone in from the outside. It took six weeks, two U.S. senators, legislative committee chairs, and the Board of Regents to get there,” said Robert Carey, Mayich’s family lawyer, in a statement to The Arizona Republic.
The ASU Police Department began investigating the circumstances of Mayich’s collapse after getting the 911 call about a heat-related incident. Administrators also promised a separate review of everything surrounding the workout.
Initial findings from Arizona State
ASU Senior Vice President James Rund outlined initial findings to ASU President Michael Crow on Sept. 22. He called for a blue-ribbon advisory panel, made up of experts who would recommend how the university should conduct outdoor athletic activities and use outside consultants.
But Rund’s investigative summary and four-page timeline do not identify anyone responsible for the failures or outline accountability measures.
The Mayich family and players had been calling on ASU to turn over the investigation to an independent third party. They have accused university officials of “whitewashing” what happened and said the school should not be allowed to investigate itself.
Seven players who were at the practice came forward, urging for several hockey coaches and staff to be placed on leave.
The players, whose identities remained anonymous for fear of retaliation, described their opposing accounts of what happened on Aug. 20. They said the practice lasted about 30 minutes longer than what the university found in its report, and signs of distress from multiple players were ignored. After Mayich collapsed, players said Powers minimized the gravity of the situation.
According to previous reporting from The Arizona Republic, Mayich was left on the ground for several minutes after he collapsed, draped with wet towels. But school guidelines say that a “cold tub half-filled with water” should be available and recommend “immediate cold water immersion,” in case of heat injury.
Additionally, Mayich had been in Phoenix for eight days before the practice, being cleared for training by a physician and an athletic trainer the day after he arrived.
University guidelines say that athletes should adjust to the heat over the course of seven to 14 days, gradually increasing the exposure’s intensity and duration over this period.
Tim Ziesel, the ex-green beret who led the practice, was invited by the team’s head coach, Greg Powers. Ziesel was not formally vetted and did sign any standard forms before leading the workout.
Powers was placed on administrative leave Wednesday.
When the final buzzer sounded, cementing the Sun Devils’ victory, the team quietly skated off to the locker room. Players and coaches weren’t made available for comment.
The Sun Devils will again play against the Lions again at 5 p.m. MST on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU hockey wins opener with a focus on fallen teammate Matthew Mayich
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