SOUTH PARIS – It was not a must-win game, nor was it a playoff match.

In the minds of the Edward Little girls’ soccer team, however, Tuesday’s showdown with Oxford Hills was both.

The Red Eddies had yet to prove themselves against the higher-echelon teams in Eastern A, and Tuesday night provided another chance.

EL picked up the intensity with a strong second half and managed to outlast the Vikings, 2-1.

“We needed to boost our confidence,” said EL coach Tom Grossman. “This was a must win for us. The girls knew what they had to do. They wanted to beat a top-notch team, and they did it. All the credit goes to them. They played 80 minutes, and we haven’t done that.”

Oxford Hills (7-3-1) was ranked fifth in the latest Eastern A standings. EL (7-3-1) was seeded seventh. After a 4-0-1 start, EL had lost three of its last six games entering Tuesday’s match.

“The best team we’ve done well against is Brunswick, and we only tied them,” said EL junior midfielder Beth Esponnette. “So this is the first good team we’ve actually beaten. So we were talking about it yesterday about how big a game this was and how serious we had to be.”

Esponnette had both goals for EL. Her second tally came with 12:02 left in the game. An Olivia Welch corner kick bounced around the box momentarily before the ball came right to Esponnette.

“It was one of those where you’re waiting back, and it just comes to you, and you see the perfect opportunity,” said Esponnette. “I saw that corner open and kicked it as hard as I could.”

The Vikings tried to produce the equalizer and gave EL a scare when Kellie Sunderland’s shot hit the crossbar with 1:35 left.

“They managed to cash in, and we didn’t,” said Oxford Hills coach Kyle Morey.

After a scoreless first half, there was no shortage of action in the final 40 minutes. During one six-plus minute span, there were three penalty kicks.

“I think EL picked up their game in the second half, and I don’t know that we did and that was a deciding factor,” said Morey.

Despite a strong start by EL in the second half, it was the Vikings that got the first penalty kick. Caitlin Stauder’s shot was caught by EL keeper Brittney French with 25:12 left in regulation. Then with 22:21 left, a handball call gave EL a penalty shot. Esponnette chipped it into the right corner for a 1-0 lead. Oxford Hills tied it with its second penalty kick of the night. Abby Chouinard scored with 18:56 left.

“It was the first game this year that the girls showed intensity and the emotion that you saw,” said Grossman.