Eastern freshman midfielder scored a goal with one second left on the clock for the men’s soccer team to draw even with Oral Roberts Saturday night, but the game wouldn’t stay that way.

The Panthers spread 23 shots, including 15 in the second half, to try to come back and catch Oral Roberts Saturday after Eastern fell behind, 1-0, 70 minutes into the game.

The Panthers did so in the final second of the game, but Oral Roberts scored quickly, 1:30 into overtime, to pick up the win and sink Eastern further back in the Summit League standings.

Eastern head coach Adam Howarth said Smith’s goal with one second left showed great perseverance in the end, but it was a bad decision by senior goalkeeper Evan Turner in overtime that cost the Panthers the game.

Oral Roberts’ Gerardo Salas kicked a ball over the heads of Eastern defenders in overtime and Turner came out of the goal box trying to corral it; however, he wasn’t quick enough.

Oral Roberts’ Tom Adams got his foot on the ball and kicked it passed Turner for the game-winning goal.

It was Adams’ fifth goal of the season.

“Mistakes have cost us all season,” Howarth said. “It’s frustrating. We are a better team than our record shows.”

Turner’s mistake in Saturday’s game cost Eastern a chance to pick up much-needed points in the league, as the Panthers are in last place in the Summit League – without a conference win this season.

The Panthers are 0-5 this season in the Summit League, while no other league team has more than three conference losses this season.

Eastern finds itself further behind than it was going into the weekend.

A win against Oral Roberts would’ve moved the Panthers into seventh, instead of staying in eighth.

Now the Panthers trail Western Illinois in the standings.

Western is 1-2-2 in the league this season and holds a tiebreaker over the Panthers, defeating Eastern earlier this season.

“Our quality is evident, but sometimes our ability to grind and play ugly has been lacking,” Howarth said. “We are young and will be better as we get older.”

Only the top four teams make the Summit League tournament at the end of the season and losing tiebreaker opportunities has put the Panthers out of contention.

The Panthers outshot Oral Roberts, 23-15, but only one of the Panthers’ shots was on target.

Oral Roberts put seven shots on goal, including the goals by Salas and Adams.

The Panthers play Fort Wayne at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lakeside Field.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].