Seven Arizona State hockey players have asked university President Michael Crow to place head coach Greg Powers and his assistants on administrative leave after a training session in August left sophomore teammate Matthew Mayich on life support and in a coma.
The request was made in a 26-page letter submitted through an attorney. The players remained anonymous, citing concerns about retaliation from Powers, whose staff controls playing time, scholarships and roster positions. Fox News reported on the letter and the players’ account of the incident.
The players are challenging Arizona State’s initial review of the Aug. 20 workout. That review found that Mayich did not receive enough hydration and that medical care after his collapse was inadequate.
The players gave a different account of the session, saying the only water opportunity came roughly 40 minutes into a 75-minute workout and lasted only seconds for the first players to complete a bear-crawl drill.
According to the letter, the workout was led by a former U.S. Army Green Beret. The players said the instructor acknowledged forgetting that they needed a water break. They also said Mayich appeared disoriented during the bear crawl and could not complete a buddy-carry exercise, but that no one properly monitored him or stepped in.
The players disputed the university’s account of what happened after Mayich fell. They said he remained in direct sunlight for several minutes and had to be carried by teammates to a shaded area. They described the available cooling supplies as towels from a cooler, bottled water and a garden hose.
