Rookie of the Year Osselmann-Chai headlines three on All-UAA men's soccer team

TEXT: BRANDEIS MEN'S SOCCER ALL-UAA: Rainer Osselmann-Chai, Co-Rookie of the Year; Sancho Maroto Tobias, 2ND TEAM ALL-UAA; Isaac Mukala, Honorable Mention All-UAA IMAGES: LEFT Rainer Osselmann-Chai chasing down a soccer ball; CENTER Sancho Maroto Tobias playing a ball at his feet; RIGHT Isaac Mukala dribbling a soccer ball on his right foot
Posted: Nov 14, 2022

WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University men's soccer rookie Rainer Osselmann-Chai of Acton, Massachusetts, has been named the Co-Rookie of the Year in the University Athletic Association. He was one of three Judges honored by UAA coaches today.

Osselmann-Chai, a midfielder, finished second on the Judges in scoring this season, finishing with two goals and five assists for nine points. He tied for fifth in the UAA in assists. In conference play, Osselmann-Chai had a goal and an assist, converting a PK in a 3-1 loss to conference champion Chicago and assisting a goal in a 4-2 loss to Emory. Osselmann-Chai scored points in five games against non-conference opponents, with the Judges going 4-1 in those games. Osselmann-Chai shared UAA Rookie of the Year honors with midfielder Brendan Schonwetter of Carnegie Mellon. Osselmann-Chai also earned All-UAA honorable mention.

Another Brandeis newcomer, senior transfer Sancho Maroto Tobias of Acton, Massachusetts, landed on the All-UAA Second Team. A forward who played his previous seasons at Division I UMass Lowell, Maroto Tobias was Brandeis's leading scorer with seven goals and an assist for 15 points, tied for seventh in the league at the end of the regular season. He was honored despite missing two of the team's five UAA contests. Maroto Tobias scored two goals in UAA play, both coming against Emory in a 4-2 loss in which the Judges played a man down for the final 40 minutes. He also posted a two-goal game in a 2-0 non-conference win over St. Joseph's (Maine) College. Maroto Tobias had the game-winning goal in three games this season.

Senior back Isaac Mukala of Malden, Massachusetts, earned honorable mention All-UAA status for the second year in a row. A three-year starter at center and right back for the Judges, Mukala had one goal this season in a 3-2 loss to WPI. Mukala showed quality on and off the ball on the right side, where he frequently helped start the attack from the back line. He helped the Brandeis defense finish with five shutouts this season, including a 1-0 win over Washington University in league play. Mukala finishes his career with 56 games played and 39 starts. He scored two career goals, including a late equalizer against Emory in 2021.

The Brandeis men's soccer team finished with a 6-8-2 record in head coach Gabe Margolis's sixth season. They return all but one of their goal scorers for next year's team, with Maroto Tobias using an additional year of eligibility earned due to COVID-19.

Osselmann-Chai is a 2022 graduate of Acton-Boxborough Regional High School.

Maroto Tobias is a 2019 graduate of Lexington High School.

Mukala is a 2018 graduate of Lawrence Academy.

For more information on Brandeis Men's Soccer, visit our home page at https://www.brandeisjudges.com/sports/msoc.

For more information on Brandeis Athletics, visit our home page at https://www.brandeisjudges.com/, or follow us on social media, @BrandeisJudges on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.