ASU Hockey Training Under Fire After Player Denied Water
An Arizona State University hockey player is hospitalized after an outdoor drill where players were allegedly denied water as punishment.
Tragedy on the Track
A grueling outdoor workout has left an Arizona State University hockey player fighting for his life. The incident has sparked an internal university investigation and raised sharp questions about the athletic department’s training methods.
Matthew Mayich, a 21-year-old defense player who recently transferred to ASU from Canada, remains unresponsive in a local hospital. He collapsed during a team training session on August 20.
The workout took place on the school’s outdoor track during the early morning hours. But the desert heat was already intense, climbing to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the family’s attorney, the team was subjected to a military-style station drill run by an active or former Green Beret.
Water Used as a Reward
The workout lasted for over an hour. The attorney alleges that trainers used hydration as a bargaining chip. If players failed to complete a station within a designated time limit, they were denied water.
Mayich collapsed on the track. His family said the physical exertion in the extreme heat triggered a severe heat stroke, which subsequently cut off the oxygen supply to his brain.
Before transferring to ASU, Mayich had no history of health problems. Now, his family waits by his bedside.
A Preventable Crisis
The allegations have shocked sports safety experts. Susan Yeargin, an associate professor of athletic training at the University of South Carolina, specializes in heat-related illnesses among athletes. She called the incident a predictable disaster.
“It almost sounds like a perfect storm kind of situation,” Yeargin said. “It sounds like it was the workout, the environment, the fact that he wasn’t acclimatized, and he was dehydrated.”
Yeargin emphasized that while human bodies can adapt to thin air or high temperatures, they cannot adapt to a lack of water. Using hydration as a punishment, she noted, runs counter to basic sports science.
- High intensity raises core body temperature.
- Dehydration accelerates heat illnesses.
- Acclimatization takes days, not hours.
University Policies Under Scrutiny
The alleged punishment directly violates Arizona State University’s own safety rules. According to the ASU Athletics heat illness policy, water must be available at every practice. The guidelines also state that staff should encourage athletes to drink fluids constantly, even outside scheduled breaks.
The school is now on the defensive. An ASU spokesperson confirmed that administrators are conducting a thorough review of the workout, the staff’s conduct, and the athletic department’s safety protocols.
For Yeargin, the tragedy serves as a warning for college athletic programs nationwide. “I think that it should be a wake-up call,” she said.
