It’s an ideal start to the 2018-19 Mountain West Hockey League season for the Breckenridge Vipers, as the Vipers defeated the Pikes Peak Vigilantes of Denver on Saturday night by a final score of 5-4.

At the Vipers’ season-opening celebration at Stephen C. West Ice Arena in Breckenridge, the two teams were knotted up at 2-2 after the first period and traded goals until midway through the third period when Vipers forward Garret Bailey netted the eventual game-winning goal for Breckenridge.

Vipers forward Josh Deloach starred for Breckenridge on the attack, scoring twice, while Vipers forwards Chad Helfer and Braden Johnson also found the back of the net. Breckenridge defenseman Derek Scanlon served up assists on two goals while Breckenridge goaltender J.R. Engelbert stopped 49 of 53 shots in the win, including all 14 shots in the third perod when Pikes Peak tried to rally to tie the game again.

The Vipers are next in action at home this coming Saturday at 8 p.m., when they host their High Country mountain-town rivals and neighbors, the Vail Yeti.

Following the contest on Saturday, the Vipers will return home again on Dec. 7 (7:30 p.m.) and Dec. 8 (8 p.m.) for primetime matchups at Stephen C. West Ice Arena against Boulder.