Patrick Mullins sure knows how to make an introduction.

Moments into the Terrapins men’s soccer team’s 4-0 win over Stanford last Friday, the sophomore forward slashed through the attacking third and netted a goal from the top of the penalty box.

While Mullins pounded his chest with the swagger of a veteran, the clock above him stopped to read “44:38.”

It had taken him just 22 seconds to transform a packed Ludwig Field into a scene from out of “Hoosiers.”

“That first goal 22 seconds in really took a lot out of [Stanford],” forward Casey Townsend said. “I think that was the key of the night.”

Mullins’ cinematic moment proved more than 18 months in the making.

The New Orleans native arrived at this university in the spring of 2010 with a clear objective: become a starting forward on a national championship-caliber team.

Two obstacles blocked his path, however.

First, the Terps already had one of the nation’s finest forward tandems in Townsend and then-senior Jason Herrick.

But perhaps more importantly, Mullins was out of shape.

“Last year, he could only go real hard for about 10 to 20 minutes,” coach Sasho Cirovski said, “so we brought him off the bench.”

Mullins took advantage of his limited playing time. As a converted striker, he paced the midfield with five goals and was named ACC Freshman of the Year after starting in just one of his 21 appearances.

But the rookie wasn’t satisfied with his new hardware. With Herrick graduating, he knew he had the talent and the opportunity to thrive.

He just needed the endurance.

“When I first came in, [fitness] was one of the biggest obstacles for me to overcome,” Mullins said. “And I personally wanted to make sure that wasn’t an excuse for me to be off the field this season. I just wanted to eliminate it altogether.”

So after spring practices finished, Mullins returned to Louisiana with a newfound dedication to working out.

He trained for about an hour everyday by himself, and practiced technical exercises with a trainer for another two. He also played with the New Orleans Jesters, a USL Premier Development League team, which allowed him to stay at what he called “game speed.”

“I needed to make sure that I did it individually, and that I was motivated,” said Mullins, who has tallied three goals through the No. 2 Terps’ first four games this season. “I think that’s the tough part. But I wanted [summer] to be a time where I made some major strides in my fitness.”

According to Cirovski, that’s exactly what he did. At the team’s annual media day in late August, the 19th-year coach spoke glowingly about Mullins’ improved stamina.

He felt so confident in Mullins that he had no qualms over who would join Townsend as a leader on the frontline this season.

“The forward line looks great,” Cirovski said. “We have Casey Townsend and Patrick Mullins, and I feel very good about those two. I know they’ll score a lot of goals this season.”

Townsend and Mullins have so far made good on their coach’s preseason prediction. The former roommates have scored more than 50 percent of the Terps’ goals this season, and with ACC play starting Friday against Boston College, the duo has already totaled 24 shots.

“When you score a lot of goals, you know we’re obviously doing something right,” Townsend said.

And judging by the mass hysteria he triggered at Ludwig Field last week, Mullins should have many more goals ahead of him.

After all, they are his passion.

“Every time I go out to do individual training, it’s always shooting,” he said. “That’s just something I love to do.”

letourneau@umdbk.com