AUBURN

Off the foot of a freshman, Edward Little High School found its scoring touch, just in time for one of its most important victories of the season.

Jared Plourde, thrust into the striker role for a young Edward Little team trying to navigate a deep and talented Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference, knocked in a pair of goals to lead the Red Eddies to a 2-0 boys’ soccer victory over Brunswick on Tuesday.

“His best quality as a player is his foot,” EL coach Matt Andreasen said. “He can hit a ball really well. He can hit with accuracy and with pace. Anytime he gets an opening, we encourage him to put it toward the cage.”

Openings for Plourde — and for anyone else wearing a home white jersey — were hard to come by Tuesday as the Dragons (3-3, scheduled to host Skowhegan on Saturday) clamped down defensively while maintaining an advantage in time of possession.

“I think (our defense) played well. It’s just a cruel game sometimes,” Brunswick coach Mark Roma said. “On (the first goal), they just took a play off, they stood and watched. They capitalized. That’s what good teams do. I think we’ve played defensively sound all year. You just can’t have those lapses.”

Edward Little directed only two balls at the cage all match long, and both found their way past Brunswick keeper Ryan Brescia.

“It’s been kind of a problem for us this year, scoring goals, and today I thought we were pretty opportunistic in front of the goal,” Andreasen said.

The teams played controlled through most of the first half. Neither team enjoyed an open look at a goal as the midfielders and forward defenders deflected attackers wide.

EL broke through with 12:44 to play in the first half on a free throw deep in the Brunswick end. The throw bounced into the top of the box, where Plourde was waiting.

“We just couldn’t put one in the net today,” Roma said. “(Edward Little) played a good game, they certainly played well enough to win, and they did. They got the job done and we didn’t.”

Expecting a surge from the Dragons in the second half, Andreasen dropped an attacker into the midfield.

“I kind of contradicted myself a bit doing that,” Andreasen admitted. “I told them not to play not to lose.”

EL goaltender Llewellyn Jensen had a few more opportunities to make saves in the second stanza as Brunswick tried to find a foothold. But the keeper was strong behind a defense that continued to limit chances.

“We’re pretty organized in the back,” Andreasen said, “We’re pretty comfortable when we’re being outpossessed as long as we’re back and compact. We try to pick our moments when we break forward.”

EL padded its lead with 18:23 to play, this time on a corner kick. The ball sailed into the box from the left, again finding Plourde.

Despite dropping to 3-3, Brunswick is far from out of the playoff race, given the bunched nature of the KVAC this season.

“I think it’s wide open,” Roma said. “You have to try to convince these kids that, whoever wants to bring it that day can win the game.”

That said, EL knew capitalizing on Tuesday’s chance at a victory may well play a role in the final standings.

“The way the new schedule is set up, you play everybody once,” Andreasen said. “We knew this was the only time we’d see them this year, and we knew if we could take points from them here, they couldn’t take them back.”