Like Emilio the butler in “Mr. Deeds,” Marcus McCarty, a junior on the men’s soccer team, appeared out of nowhere this season after transferring from Memphis.

The 6-foot-2 forward’s seven goals and 18 points lead the MAC.

And it’s those stats that helped NIU (10-3-1 overall, 3-0 MAC) achieve a No. 4 rank in the Great Lakes region. Its next game is Saturday at 2 p.m. at Huskie Soccer Field against No. 22 Akron (8-3-1, 2-0).

But just because McCarty is the hottest thing to hit the MAC soccer scene in 2006, it doesn’t mean the reigning conference Player of the Week couldn’t take five with the Northern Star.

Northern Star: Why NIU?

Marcus McCarty: I really liked [NIU men’s soccer coach] Steve Simmons. He stuck around and stayed interested in me after recruiting me out of high school.

NS: How did you fit in so well so soon?

MM: I haven’t thought about that. I came in here and met the guys to get comfortable with them, and tried to fit in the best I could.

NS: How do you have 35 shots on net? That’s 19 more than the next guy at NIU.

MM: I was taught all my life, when you’re around the [goalkeepers] box, take as many shots as possible. And we try to stress that in every game we play here.

NS: You scored 50 goals in your senior year of high school. How?

MM: It helped that half of my club team played at our school. You don’t always get seven starters from a club team at your high school.

NS: Football in Texas is like hockey in Canada. Why did you choose to play soccer over football?

MM: I did have the opportunity to play both since soccer was in the spring, but soccer was my first love, and I played it the longest.

NS: NIU is out-scoring its MAC opponents 11-1. Why is this year’s team dominating the MAC?

MM: We’ve played such a great non-conference schedule early this year, it’s been a little easier for us because we’ve done a better job this year of handling bigger games.

NS: Akron was No. 1 last year. Are you ready for this weekend?

MM: If we play to the best of our ability and get everything clicking, nobody can stop what we have.

Sean Connor is an NIU Men’s Soccer reporter for the Northern Star.