New Bears Join Cal Men’s Soccer

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 Metelista, 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 uncle, 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…