BERKELEY – The California men's soccer program welcomed a talented recruiting class to Berkeley, head coach Leonard Griffin announced Tuesday.
 
The new Golden Bears are Kieran Bracken Serra, Joe Chalwin, Arseni Metelitsa, Alfredo Ortiz, Eli Wachs and Malcolm Zalayet. Most of the new Bears hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, including Chalwin, who was born in England, and also calls Lafayette – located about 12 miles from Cal – home. Ortiz, a transfer from Cerritos College, comes from Los Angeles.
 
"I am thrilled to welcome this next crop of Golden Bears to Berkeley," said Griffin, the 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year. "It's a very balanced class with talent that will improve our team from back to front. Our staff did a fantastic job identifying and bringing in elite talent from Northern California as well as finding one of the top junior college players from Southern California. Not only will these student-athletes make an impact on the soccer field, but they will also positively embody what we want a Cal men's soccer player to be in the classroom and in the community. I'm happy to know that we got better this signing day! Go Bears!"
 
An East Bay native who was born in Oakland, Bracken Serra is a 5-9 central midfielder who goes to Berkeley High School. He is also a member of the Oakland Roots Academy and plays for the Roots' Project 510 USL League Two team. In the fall he will become the second member of his family to play collegiately in the Bay Area, as his older brother, Gabriel, is a midfielder for San Francisco.
 
Chalwin, a central defender/central defensive midfielder, moved to the United States when he was 11. He was a captain of his ODP U16 national team and played for the Ballistic United MLS NEXT U17 team. Chalwin also competed in MLS NEXT Cup at the U16, U17 and U19 levels. His father, Mark Chalwin, played professionally for Wycombe Wanderers in England.
 
Metelitsa is another Bay Area product joining Cal. A central defender/central defensive midfielder from San Mateo, he plays for the San Jose Earthquakes II in MLS NEXT and reached the U17 MLS Cup semifinals with the Quakes in 2023. Metelitsa also reached the U16 MLS NEXT Cup semis with the De Anza Force in 2022.
 
The 20-year-old Ortiz was named the 2022 South Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year while with Cerritos College. He posted eight assists and two goals, including the winner in the SCC title game, last fall. In 2021, Ortiz played for East Los Angeles College, making 10 starts in 15 games played. He teamed with his brother Raul at both Cerritos and East Los Angeles.
 
Wachs, another 5-9 Cal midfield recruit who was born in Oakland, played with Metelitsa on the De Anza Force in the 2022 U16 MLS NEXT Cup. He also played for the San Jose Earthquakes Academy, reaching the MLS NEXT Cup semis in 2021. After switching to the Nashville SC Academy, Wachs now plays for Nashville's Huntsville City FC entry in MLS NEXT Pro. He will become the fifth member of his family to attend Cal, including his parents, Sarah and Keely Wachs.
 
Zalayet, from San Rafael in the Bay Area, is a three-time member of the ECNL All-America team who led his Marin FC club to the NorCal ECNL championships in 2021 and 2022 and to the national semifinals in 2023. The Marin Independent Journal's Player of the Year after scoring 21 goals in all competitions in 2023, Zalayet led Marin Academy to the CIF Division IV NorCal championship in 2023 and to the CIF Division II NorCal title in 2022.
 
The newcomers join a Cal program that finished the 2023 season with a 7-6-5 record, which more than doubled the team's record in 2022, and – along with the coaching award for Griffin – garnered All-Pac-12 accolades for five current Bears – Kevin Carmichael, Evan Davila, Wyatt Meyer (first team); Nonso Adimabua (second team); and Connor Lambe (honorable mention). Meyer was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and three Bears – Davila (first team), Meyer (second team) and Adimabua (third team) – were chosen to the United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region Teams. The Bears shone in the classroom as well, with Meyer and Santiago Hopkins earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District recognition.
 
2023 Cal Men's Soccer Recruiting Class
 
Kieran Bracken Serra
Hometown: Berkeley, Calif.
Position: Central Midfielder
Club/Academy: Oakland Roots
Previous School: Berkeley HS
 
Joe Chalwin
Hometown: Berkhamsted, England
Position: Central Defensive Midfielder/Central Back
Club/Academy: Ballistic United
Previous School: Miramonte HS
 
Arseni Metelitsa
Hometown: San Mateo, Calif.
Position: Central Back/Central Defensive Midfielder
Club/Academy: San Jose Earthquakes II
Previous School: Advantages International School
 
Alfredo Ortiz
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Position: Left back/wingback
Club/Academy: LAUFA/Los Angeles Galaxy Academy
Previous School: Cerritos College
 
Eli Wachs
Hometown: Oakland, Calif.
Position: Midfielder
Club/Academy: Nashville SC
Previous School: Edmentum/Edoptions Academy
 
Malcolm Zalayet
Hometown: San Rafael, Calif.
Position: Striker/Forward/Midfielder
Club/Academy: Marin FC
Previous School: Marin Academy
 
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