FEATURE: Ferris State Senior Josh Zary Sees Bulldogs Hitting Their Stride at the Right Time as CCHA Tournament Begins

By Sandy Gholston

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – It's college hockey tournament time, and Ferris State senior forward Josh Zary believes the Bulldogs are playing their best hockey of the season as they travel to Mankato for a first-round series against No. 1 seed and nationally-ranked Minnesota State in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament.

The Nanaimo, British Columbia native believes the Bulldogs may have turned a corner during a cold weekend in Minnesota, earning four points in a series at Bemidji State. One week later, Ferris State followed with another strong showing in a crucial home series against Northern Michigan, earning five points while battling for a CCHA Tournament berth.

Following a bye week, Ferris State wrapped up the regular season with a strong road weekend at Lake Superior State (Feb. 26-27), earning a win – including an important three points – and then a tie – for one more point – before falling in a shootout.

Thursday's win over the Lakers officially clinched the Bulldogs' CCHA Tournament spot and the No. 8 seed.

"From my perspective, it has been really awesome to see our team playing our best hockey coming down the stretch," said Zary, an alternate captain for the Bulldogs. "Each guy on our roster has fully bought in and is willing to do whatever it takes for the guy next to him, and that's something really special."

That collective commitment has clicked for a Bulldog squad that knew it had to fight hard during its last three competition weekends to secure one of the eight spots in the CCHA Tournament.

"When all 30 guys on the roster are committed to playing our brand of hockey, we believe that we can play with anyone in the country," Zary said. "It's been a lot of fun to be part of, and we can't wait to keep it going into the playoffs."

The Bulldogs faced challenges during stretches of the regular season. The team's focus, however, never wavered.

"Like any season, there are ups and downs throughout the year, but I felt that my teammates and I did a really good job at staying levelheaded through the good and bad," Zary said. "Personally, I have felt that my play has continued to progress in the right direction as the season has gone on, and I can't wait to continue to build it throughout our playoff run."

Zary is entering the CCHA Tournament with 20 points — 13 goals and seven assists in 34 games — after transferring from Long Island University, where he played three seasons for now first-year Ferris State head coach Brett Riley.

When an opportunity to shift gears in his college career to play for Ferris State in the CCHA arose, Zary was intrigued.

"What interested me the most about playing hockey at Ferris State was being able to be a part of a historic and winning program that had a reputation of playing a winning brand of blue-collar hockey," Zary said. "Having the opportunity to be a part of building the culture here at Ferris State is something for which I will always be grateful."

He added, "My transition to Ferris State from Long Island was about as smooth as it can get. The returning players made me feel welcomed from the second I stepped into the locker room."

Zary has also loved the support around the program.

"The community welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home from the day I got here," he said.

Family matters, too.

Zary is from a hockey family. His cousin, Connor, plays for the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames. Through 58 games, Connor has 10 goals, 13 assists and 23 points.

Josh's Bulldogs are headed back to Mankato to face No. 16 and top-seeded Minnesota State in a best-of-three series.

The team split a road series in December in Mankato, falling 5-1 before responding with a 4-1 win over the then-No. 13 Mavericks. In late January, Minnesota State swept a two-game set in Big Rapids by scores of 6-1 and 4-3.

The Bulldogs enter the CCHA Tournament as the No. 8 seed but are enthusiastic about their improved play.

"For our team to be successful against Minnesota State, we will need to do what we do best, and that is playing our brand of hockey," said Zary, a Business Administration major eying a May 2026 graduation date. "We're really confident with the group we have in our room, and if we stick to our identity and lay it on the line for each other, we'll give ourselves a great opportunity to come out on top."