Dominique Alexander has become all too familiar with the Ohio State men’s lacrosse team this fall. The U.S. indoor training team member has faced his alma mater on three separate occasions over the course of three weeks.

First, it was the Classic vs. Current Alumni Game, where Alexander and his fellow former Buckeyes took on the current squad on Oct. 5. Two days later, he suited up for the Ohio Machine, his MLL team, as it battled against Ohio State in the Ohio Machine Fall Classic.

“They’re probably tired of hearing me and seeing me,” he said. “I love it because it reminds me of playing. I guarantee they’re tired of seeing me. They’re like ‘God, shut up.’”

Alexander and the Buckeyes met again, if only for 20 minutes of gameplay, on Saturday morning at the Resolute Athletic Complex in Columbus. Now putting on the red, white and blue, he was just as excited to reminisce about his days playing in scarlet and gray.

He even adapted to new Ohio State customs, like getting down for one push-up on multiple occasions — a price to pay for mishaps aimed to keep players accountable.

“That started after I left, but all the guys made me do it so I hop in,” he joked.

But it wasn’t all fun and games with the Buckeyes and Alexander. After going through a joint practice, the U.S. indoor team and Ohio State lined up for a scrimmage — one that didn’t waste time to deliver intensity.

The Buckeyes injected liveliness into the arena immediately, increasing the pace of play and keeping the noise coming from all ends of the floor. It was a test for a U.S. team during its three-day training weekend at Resolute, where Alexander coincidentally has worked for six years.

The U.S. indoor team won the 20-minute scrimmage against Ohio State thanks to the resiliency coach Regy Thorpe's team showed after an initial run from the Buckeyes.

Thanks to our friends at @OhioStateMLAX for stopping by and bringing the intensity today. A lot of fun out there.pic.twitter.com/ztxuRBPNAm

— US Men's National Team (@USAMLax) October 20, 2018

“Those kids came out with a lot of energy, which is awesome,” Thorpe said. “Hats off to them. They came out and went toe-to-toe with us and it was a good experience for our guys.”

Thorpe joked with his team about the youthful college players on the other bench — although his son, Gale, an Ohio State junior, is a member of the U.S. training team.

“Welcome to how it feels to be a 20-year-old,” he told his team.

Nick Myers’ Ohio State team had more than a handful of players with indoor experience, helping keep the U.S. team on its toes throughout the scrimmage.

“It’s good that they came out with a lot of energy and we tried to match it,” Alexander said. “We were trying not to get thrown off our game and settle down and not let their energy excite us and do things a little out of character, so it was good for both sides.”

In addition to the scrimmage with Ohio State, Thorpe’s team got a chance to work on offensive and defensive systems, refining substitutions and stick work. He made an effort to bring his team together in October, just days before NLL training camps open up.

As much as Thorpe wants to prepare the U.S. team for next year’s 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, he knows the importance of getting more of his players into the NLL. The more experience they can get in the professional ranks, the better off they’ll better come next September.

“We thought it would be great, even though we were in Syracuse three weeks ago, to get together again and really give ourselves and our players one more opportunity to sharpen our stick skills offensively and defensively,” he said. “When they go into this training camp, they’re really putting themselves in the best position to succeed and make those rosters. We’re really hoping that their hard work pays off and they latch on to NLL teams.”

More than a few members of this U.S. indoor team will be fighting for roster spots in the NLL for 2018-19. The additions of teams in Philadelphia, where Trevor Baptiste will start his career, and San Diego, where Connor Kelly and Connor Fields were drafted, could certainly help expand that pool.

Thorpe’s efforts certainly did not go unnoticed.

“The fact that they have the time this time around to develop these guys and coach them as they prepare for an NLL season, I think that's going to be very crucial for the development of the national team,” Myer said.

Bucky is Back

Kevin Buchanan made a return to the floor on Friday night and continuing playing, albeit limited, on Saturday. The New England Black Wolves veteran, also an Ohio State alum, is in the midst of recovering from surgery on his patella tendon. 

Buchanan, a two-time World Indoor Lacrosse Championship veteran (2011, 2015), isn't 100 percent, but his voice is. As soon as he hit the floor, Buchanan became one of the vocal leaders for Team USA.

It’s been five months since surgery on his patella, and Buchanan is just happy to be with his team again.

“I’ve been training pretty hard to get my wheels back,” he said. “I’ve got some more to go with my mechanics and being relaxed and running correctly, It feels great to be with the guys and be a little more ingrained in the field. There’s only so much you can do from the sidelines and yelling from the box. It’s good to be out there and try to set the tone for having fun and bringing energy.”

He’ll now set his sights on being ready for the NLL season, where he scored 19 goals and added 31 assists last season.

Columbus’ Growing Indoor Scene

Alexander has worked at Resolute Athletic Complex, alongside founders Anthony Kelly and Greg Bice, since he was a student at Ohio State. He’s seen the lacrosse scene in Ohio’s capital grow as a result of the facilities at Resolute.

To date, there are multiple youth and high school leagues run at Resolute, and the number of participants is growing.

“This facility here has been instrumental in the growth of indoor lacrosse and lacrosse in general,” he said. “Having an indoor facility when it’s 20 degrees outside in Columbus, it’s huge. It’s been nice to have clinics and get these kids involved in the game. Take some of these kids that are basketball and football guys and teach them lacrosse, and they actually love it and keep coming back.”

In addition to youth leagues, Alexander and Resolute helped start the Ohio College Box Lacrosse League (OCBLL) — similar to to the Colorado Collegiate Box Lacrosse League based in Denver. On the Ohio State roster were a handful of veterans of the OCBLL, which has three teams in Columbus and one in Cleveland — including Jack Jasinski, Colby Barker, Nick Musci and Jed Manning.