Questions continue to mount over how an outside trainer was brought in to conduct an Arizona State hockey workout that ended with sophomore defenseman Matthew Mayich suffering exertional heatstroke and falling into a coma, according to a report from The Arizona Republic.
Earlier this week, investigative reporter Robert Anglen reported that Tim Ziesel, a former Green Beret who led the Aug. 20 workout, apparently was hired without completing the university’s required approval process for outside consultants.
Ziesel’s attorney, Phoenix lawyer Buddy Rake, told the Republic that his client was brought in through what amounted to a handshake agreement with ASU hockey coach Greg Powers and other staff members. Rake said Ziesel was not asked to complete forms or sign a contract.
ASU Athletic Department guidelines reviewed by the Republic state that outside consultants must receive approval before working with student-athletes. The policy also requires consultants to maintain first-aid, CPR and AED certifications, according to the report.
The consultant issue is one of several questions surrounding Mayich’s collapse. A previous Republic investigation found that ASU’s heat-safety guidelines call for athletes to gradually acclimatize to heat over seven to 14 days and identify immediate cold-water immersion as the preferred treatment for heat illness, The Arizona Republic reported.
Mayich, according to his attorney Robert Carey, was instead left on the ground for several minutes while being treated rather than immediately placed in an ice bath.
ASU police launched an investigation after receiving the 911 call, and the university has said it is conducting a separate review, the report said. Mayich’s family has asked that the investigation be turned over to outside law enforcement, arguing that university police cannot provide sufficient independence while investigating members of the university’s athletic program, the report said.
Mayich, 21, transferred to ASU from Clarkson and was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 2023 NHL draft. He remains hospitalized in a coma.
The Republic reported that workout conditions were in the upper 80s with roughly 50 percent humidity. Ziesel has disputed descriptions of the workout as unusually extreme, according to the report.