DeKALB | Everyone had their favorite Halloween candies.

I would often come home with a bag full of enough sugary treats to allow my dentist to make rent for another month.

But then there were always the tricks. There was bad generic candy, change, or worse, scary religious brainwashing pamphlets that went immediately into the circular file.

This fall, the NIU sports scene has had their fare share of tricks and treats.

The best treat thus far, the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of our sports world, has been the men’s soccer team.

NIU coach Steve Simmons isn’t far off when he says the team’s goal is to win a national championship. Yes, men’s soccer is a giant bag of your favorite treats.

Sophomore goalkeeper Joe Zimka has been as good as a bag of Skittles between the pipes. And the sudden-strike, goal-scoring potential of MAC player of the year candidate Marcus McCarty has been as sour to opponent’s hopes as a box of Lemonheads.

Then there is the NIU women’s soccer team. The Huskies started the season like a nasty popcorn ball wrapped in plastic wrap.

But behind a quickly maturing lineup, NIU pulled a trick on second-seeded Ohio and moved on to the second round of the MAC Tournament for the first time since 1998.

NIU football has been as plain as a Hershey’s bar — no nuts or toffee here. Just plain chocolate.

Running back Garrett Wolfe has been as electric as a box of Everlasting Gobstoppers. And at least the defense has improved to the quality of a 3 Musketeers Bar as of late.

But Phil Horvath has been a trick for NIU. A Kyle Orton-like efficiency and inaccuracy conjures up memories of those nasty circus peanuts.

And don’t forget the NIU volleyball team who has been a wonderful treat thus far.

Ray Goodens’ team is as quality as a Snickers bar, with a 10-2 MAC record.

But as the playoffs and bowl seasons near, which team will prove to be the ultimate treat?

Unfortunately, football will be a Tootsie Roll Pop — good enough to eat, only once all the other candy is gone.

Women’s soccer is on a roll, but could prove to be a year away from making a deep treat-like run in the tournament.

The treasured bag of Runts could be the volleyball team, which looks poised for a deep run.

The cream of the crop though is the men’s soccer team, who should make the NCAA Tournament — the ultimate treat.