CHESTER, Pa. — After Virginia cut the Terrapins men’s soccer team’s lead in half with a 77th-minute penalty kick Friday night, it was no surprise that Patrick Mullins gathered the Terps together at the top of their penalty box.

The forward’s message to the rest of the team was clear: The Terps had a 2-1 lead, they were 13 minutes away from Sunday’s national title game and nothing was going to keep them out of it.

“I just told the boys, ‘Don’t let this one flush you too much. Let’s just keep doing what we’ve been doing all game,’” Mullins said.

And while Virginia made a late push to tie the game and it wasn’t over until defender Jereme Raley knocked a corner kick attempt out of bounds, Mullins’ words and performance were enough to hold up under the bright lights of PPL Park before a national audience. The captain scored two goals and was ever-present to propel the Terps to their first national title berth since 2008, the last year they captured a championship.

Mullins, a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy as the defending winner, proved once again why he is one of the nation’s top players, if not its best. The New Orleans native’s variety of skills was on full display: He used his speed to run by Cavaliers defenders; he used his body to create space, and he used his powerful left foot to beat goalkeeper Calle Brown twice.

“Obviously, he’s one of the best players in the country,” said Virginia midfielder Todd Wharton, who scored the Cavaliers’ lone goal. “We played him three times and he’s single-handedly beat us every time except the one where we tied. The things he does on and off the ball, you don’t see that every day.”

Mullins has elevated the Terps all season and during his career. Mullins has scored in 38 Terps games over the past four years. The Terps’ record in those games? 32-1-5.

“Patrick is a special player,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “I thought he was dominant. He was very good on both sides of the ball. He’s a special human being.”

And though the Terps are one of the nation’s top programs, they’re still prone to have off nights in which things aren’t clicking or their opponent has upped its game. On Friday night, Virginia stifled most of the chances the Terps generated through their normal offense. Mullins’ two goals came on long downfield passes, rarities for a team that likes to maintain possession and dictate play with short, calculated maneuvers.

Mullins’ play, combined with some timely saves by goalkeeper Zack Steffen, proved to be enough to break down Virginia.

“We got beat by one guy, in my opinion,” Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. “Actually, two guys: their goalkeeper and No. 15, and I think we outplayed the rest of their team. They’re a good team. I don’t want to take anything away from them, but Mullins is a very, very good player, and he single-handedly beat us today.”

Before the College Cup, Mullins spoke about how his goal was to add to the legacy he’ll leave in College Park when his career ends Sunday. He’s scored a nation-best 18 goals this season, which rank sixth all-time on the Terps’ single-season list and betters his 17 from last season. He has 45 career goals, which ranks second all-time in Terps history. His 44 points lead the nation and equal his total from last season which ranked sixth in program history.

But as he’s said before, that’s not enough. Everything for him leads to a national championship, and he’s now the closest he’s ever come to the achievement.

“It’s a lot sweat, blood and tears all the way through,” Mullins said. “These guys are all my brothers. And making it this far is special, and that’s why that team accolade — which we hope to get on Sunday — is going to be extra special because you know you’ve been with your brothers the whole time. You’ve put the work in to get there. And we just want to get our best foot forward to hope we get that on Sunday.”