Seven Arizona State hockey players disputed the university's review of a teammate's collapse and called for the school to put athletic staff on leave pending an independent investigation, according to a letter sent to the university president Monday. In the letter titled "The Truth About the August 20 Workout," the players and their attorney allege that Matthew Mayich, who is not expected to recover after collapsing, did not receive any water during the workout, which was more grueling than reported, and that the athletic staff were not prepared to deal with heat stroke.

The athletes, who said they submitted the report anonymously because of fear of retaliation, asked ASU to place all staff responsible for the workout on administrative leave and for the school to refer the investigation to an outside agency. They noted that head coach Greg Powers and his assistant coaches, who were all on the field when Mayich collapsed, remain in their positions.

ASU issued preliminary findings from its internal review last week that found the coaching staff did not vet the training plan for the workout led by a former Green Beret, Tim Ziesel, who also did not have a contract with the school. The players stated that the session lasted more than 75 minutes, from about 7:05 a.m. to the time Mayich collapsed at about 8:23 a.m., and that no one properly monitored him.

Ziesel's attorney, Buddy Rake, told ESPN that players were never denied water and that his client did not determine water breaks because the school has a hydration policy. He also said that no player vomited during the workout and that Mayich did not show any signs of distress until after Ziesel left.