Ventura Vikings’ Race to the 2024-2025 USPHL Pacific Division Playoffs

As of January 22, 2025, the Ventura Vikings look to be out of the race to the playoffs. However, this does not dismiss their performance during the regular season. The Ventura Vikings are currently in seventh place of the USPHL Pacific Division standings with 23 points and a season record of 10-22-2-1. Out of their 10 wins, one of them includes three shutouts and one shootout victory. 

The Ventura Vikings currently have a 22.89% power play success rate and a decent 72.29% penalty killing rate. Their top scorers are #10 Jett McCullum who currently has 57 points and #97 Cameron Cote who currently has 50 points recorded in the regular season. Cameron Cote leads the team in hat-tricks recorded during the regular season as he has recorded 3 hat-tricks in the season so far.

In regards to goaltending, all four of their goaltenders have been active during the season. The stats include: Ethan Sellwood securing 6 wins out of 8 games and a 0.896 SV%; Joshua Arsenault securing 1 win out of 10 games and a 0.860 SV%; Zachary Follo securing 1 win in 12 games and 0.865 SV%; and Brasco Cirillo securing 4 wins out of 18 games and a 0.838 SV%. 

Looking at what is left of the regular season, the Ventura Vikings have 11 games left in the regular season which consists of: 

• A three-game series against the San Diego Sabers (5th place, 36 PTS, 18-14-0-0) on January 24, 2025, the Ontario Jr. Reign (2nd place, 47 PTS, 23-9-1-0) on January 25, 2025, and the Long Beach Bombers (8th place, 18 PTS, 8-23-2-0) on January 26, 2026. 

  • Previous meetings this season: 

    • SDS have won all four games against VNV (4-0)

    • OJR have won all 5 games against VNV (5-0)

    • VNV and LBB are evenly split against one another (2-2)

  • Prediction: 

    • SDS will likely sweep VNV as they have in previous games when they not only outshot VNV (146 SOG vs 127), outscored (24 G vs. 14 G), and maintained control over the game with their successful penalty kill (100% ).

    • OJR will sweep VNV in this game as in the past, they have dominated VNV in regards to puck possession (226 SOG vs 138 SOG) and in overall goal scoring (43 G vs 20 G)

    • Previous games between VNV and LBB have been fairly close in regards to total goals scored (21 G for VNV and 18 G for LBB), however, LBB has outshot VNV (137 SOG vs. 106 SOG) and had more successful power play outcomes (50% PP vs. 23.1% PP). Overall, it will come down to who can take advantage of their scoring opportunities and on the man advantage. 

• A three-game series against the Fresno Monsters (3rd place, 46 PTS, 23-8-0-0) on January 30- February 1, 2025. 

  • Previous meetings this season: FRM have won all 3 games against VNV (3-0)

  • Prediction: FRM will sweep VNV in this three-game series as they have swept VNV in the past after dominating the game (105 SOG vs. 56 SOG) and took control over goal scoring (25 G vs 5 G) in the three previous matchups.

• A three-game series against the Colorado Fighting Elk (6th place, 13 PTS, 6-19-1-0) on February 7-9, 2025. 

  • Previous meetings this season: VNV and ELK have not faced one another

  • Prediction: VNV may sweep ELK based on season record and their power play success rates as ELK currently has a 13.71% PP success rate and VNV has a 22.89% PP success rate. However, ELK does have a slight advantage on the PK as they have a 77.78% PK success rate which is slightly higher compared to VNV’s 72.29% PK success rate. 

• A two-game series against the Long Beach Bombers (8th place, 18 PTS, 8-23-2-0) on February 21, 2025 and the San Diego Sabers on February 22, 2025. 

  • Previous meetings this season: 

    • VNV and LBB are evenly split against one another (2-2)

    • SDS have won all four games against VNV (4-0)

  • Prediction: 

    • It may come down to puck possession, goaltending, and whoever has the upperhand on the power play between VNV and LBB

    • SDS will likely sweep VNV as they have in previous games when they not only outshot VNV (146 SOG vs 127), outscored (24 G vs. 14 G), and maintained control over the game with their successful penalty kill (100% ).

As acknowledged in Summary of the Race to the Playoffs, the Ventura Vikings (29 PTS) will have to fight an uphill battle to be considered in the running as standings 1-4 range from 53-45 PTS and 5th place is 36 PTS. Based on the likelihood of their upcoming games and if the rest of the division remains at a standstill while the Vikings compete to maintain a winning streak for the remainder of the season, the odds of making the playoffs are very slim. This does not take away from the team’s commendable efforts and memorable moments throughout the regular season.