PORTLAND — Could a night of private karaoke be the key to unlocking the Portland Hearts of Pine’s season?

The answer might not be known for a month or two, but Hearts players did metaphorically sing for their supper while on the road last week after a desultory 3-0 loss at Fort Wayne.

In their next game at Union Omaha, the first-place team in USL League One, the Hearts took a 2-0 halftime lead. Yes, they gave up a goal in extra time for a 2-2 tie, but they did get a point on the road against a top opponent.

Saturday, the Hearts needed to go one step further — get a lead and hold it. They did just that, beating USL Championship squad Rhode Island FC, 2-1, in a USL Cup match in front of a sun-splashed and vocal crowd of 6,307 at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

“We knew we didn’t perform well (in Fort Wayne) and we knew we needed a response. We tried to get a win in Omaha and that didn’t happen, and here we wanted to make sure we got this right,” said center back Kemali Green, the team leader in minutes played.

Portland coach Bobby Murphy said there was plenty of “soul-searching” after the Fort Wayne loss, an effort Murphy termed the “antithesis of who we aspire to be.”

So after a day off in Nebraska, the team met at a karaoke bar in a private room. Everyone sang. Coaches and players, some well, others poorly. But when lyrics were botched, the other players joined in with support.

“That’s the nature of what you have to do to succeed in a team sport,” Murphy said.

Green did a version of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” with teammates JayTee Kamara and Michel Poon-Angeron.

“Obviously the karaoke was super, super fun. And we like hanging out with each other. And the coaches were involved, too, which was cool,” Green said. “It was a great time and it brought us a little bit closer together, for sure.”

The consensus choice for best karoake singer? Goalie coach Yuta Nomura doing an all-Korean language “Gangnam Style.”

“Brought the house down,” Murphy said.

In Portland’s first season, Murphy said creating a family atmosphere happened quicker. Every player was new to Portland. They had to hang around with each other.

This year, the roster is half new, half holdovers. Several injuries, late arrivals and roster moves slowed the build, with player roles in flux. When pivotal attacking midfielder Masashi Wada suffered multiple fractures to his lower left leg in the first home game, requiring season-ending surgery, it left a hole the team is still trying to fill.

Getting right winger Walter Varela back on the field was a help. He’d been out basically all season after hernia surgery. Matteo Kidd, starting in Wada’s spot, made a run to the far post and knocked in a sharp cross from Ollie Wright in the third minute.

Portland jumped ahead 2-0 on Wright’s 27th-minute penalty kick after Diogo Barbosa was taken down in the box.

Rhode Island pressured throughout the second half and was able to get six corner kicks and numerous deep throws that created dangerous set pieces. On the fifth corner, Amos Shapiro Thompson curled a right-footed kick away from goalie Hunter Morse that Landon Dorsey headed home.

Morse was exceptional, making seven saves, including three that prevented almost certain goals in the second half. On one, Morse was able to make a quick step to his right, swing his hand up and parry the ball away from trouble — a move that Morse said he’s been working on in recent weeks to make sure rebounds don’t stay in dangerous spots.

“We’ve been working a lot and I’ve said it before, the best teams just keep going up,” Morse said. “And that’s what we’re going to do all year long. Just keep going up.”

The win puts Portland in contention to advance from Group 5 of the in-season tournament that pits USL League One teams from U.S. soccer’s third division against USL Championship teams. The top team in each of the seven groups, plus the best second-place team, go to the quarterfinals. The winning team earns $100,000.

After two USL Cup games, Portland has four points — three for Saturday’s win and one for a loss in penalty kicks at Westchester on April 25. They have two USL Cup games remaining: at USL Championship squad Brooklyn FC on June 7 and at home against USL1 foe New York Cosmos on July 11.

Portland is 2-2-4 in league games and returns to league action Saturday, hosting Greenville Triumph SC.