It took the Eastern men’s soccer team 379 minutes and nearly four full matches to notch its first goal of the season, but the score could not have come at a better time.

Sophomore midfielder Mike Picinich headed in a corner kick with two seconds left in the match to give the Panthers a 1-0 victory Friday against Central Arkansas (2-2). The win was Eastern’s first of the season (1-2-1).

The play was set up by junior defender Alex Harrison, who forced a corner kick with 20 seconds remaining by streaking down the sideline. Harrison took the corner for the Panthers and serviced it in to Picinich for the last second score.

“(Picinich) rose like a young salmon,” Eastern head coach Adam Howarth said.

“(Harrison) did a great job getting it in to him over a couple of guys. They had trouble marking our guys on the play.”

The goal was the first of Picinich’s college careeer.

Picinich said his coach told all of the players to get into the box and that the ball went directly to him in the box.

“I don’t know if I have ever gone up that high for a ball,” Picinich said.

Howarth said Eastern had two nice chances to score early in the match, but Central Arkansas freshman goalkeeper Patxi Shortsleeve made nice saves.

Picinich said the team started off with plenty of chances early in the match, but the chances stopped until the final minutes of the game. He said Eastern had a tough time finishing in the final third of the field during that period.

Freshman forward Kyle Bullock got in behind the defense, but was denied by Shortsleeve. Freshman forward Jerry Maddi headed a ball down off a service by red-shirt freshman defender Austin Andrekus, but was also stopped.

Howarth said the team did some good things, but they still need to work on others.

“We had a little issue defending, but they did a nice job and put up a clean sheet,” Howarth said.

“We did a nice job creating chances, we just need to work on putting them away.”

The Panthers recorded their second shutout of the season, after playing Mercer to a scoreless tie on Sept. 4.

Junior goalkeeper Sean Molony stopped one ball for his second career shutout.

The Panthers also had a team save in the 63rd minute.

The match was the first victory for Eastern in the last 14 matches, dating back to Oct. 1, 2008.

“We really needed that win,” Picinich said. “You can tell with all the guys our confidence is up and it will motivate us for the season.”

The match was opening day for the new soccer/track facility at Central Arkansas.

The Bears will join Eastern’s conference, the Missouri Valley Conference, in 2010.

Howarth said it is always nice to shut a team out on the road.

“It was their first game at their new soccer facility and they were pumped up,” Howarth said. “It was nice to ruin it for them.”

The Panthers will look for their second win of the season 5 p.m. Friday in Evansville, Ind. when they take on Stony Brook.

Dan Cusack can be reached at 581-7944 or dscusack@eiu.edu.