FORT WAYNE – Kegan Harkenrider and Nick Wilson were on different fields but in relatively the same position Saturday at the Shindigz National Soccer Festival.

Both are vying to crack lineups – Harkenrider with Louisville and Wilson with Michigan State.

Harkenrider, a sophomore, spent last season with Denver but transferred to Louisville, the nation’s top-ranked team. Because he was granted his release by Denver, he was able to play immediately.

“Yeah, Denver, I can’t complain. They were good to me, great to me actually,” said the former Homestead standout, who had considered Louisville coming out of high school.

“I just wanted a change and after visiting and going through some options, it felt right to me, and I made the change.”

With Denver, Harkenrider, a midfielder, started 19 of 20 games and was named to College Soccer News’ list of the top 100 freshmen. He had two goals and an assist.

But getting on the field won’t be as easy with Louisville, which defeated ninth-ranked Michigan 2-0.

“I think I could see some playing time, but it all depends on training and how everything goes,” Harkenrider said. “But I’m happy to be on the team, no matter what role it is. … Just the speed of play, the pace of the game, is an adjustment. Switching from Denver to Louisville, it’s like another level now. I’m just trying to adapt to it and get used to it.”

Wilson, a junior, is trying to take on a leadership role with Michigan State’s youngsters. But those youngsters are exactly what are standing between him and a starting spot.

“There’s the depth here,” Wilson said. “We’ve been making so many runs in the NCAA tournament, and we’re getting so many good recruits. Our team is just stacked.”

He has appeared in 31 games through his first two seasons with the 19th-ranked Spartans, who lost 2-1 to Northern Illinois.

Despite the knee injury he suffered in the offseason, Wilson is clearly a more polished player than he was at Canterbury.

“Definitely. At the college level, everybody’s game needs to step up. From high school, the game is so much faster, and the coaches just know what they are talking about,” said Wilson, whose brother, P.J., played at New Mexico, and whose sister, Katie, played for Murray State.

For both Harkenrider and Wilson, getting to play on the familiar pitches of Hefner Fields was a blast.

“I love it here,” Wilson said. “I get to see so many people I know. There’s so much support here from my family and friends. Even the workers here, they’ve been friends of mine since I was growing up.”

jcohn@jg.net