L.I. Lacrosse Hall of Fame Honors Mineola Graduate

An elite class of legendary Long Island lacrosse players, including Mineola’s Richard Flynn and Huntington’s Brian Lantier, was inducted into the L.I. Metropolitan Lacrosse Hall of Fame Feb. 5 during the 26th Annual awards ceremony at the Huntington Hilton.

Other players enshrined included Levittown’s Paul Goldsmith, Glen Head’s Karen McCrate Henning, Ward Melville’s Dave McCulloch, Rocky Point’s Gary Reh, Freeport’s Jerry Simandl, Manhasset’s Michelle Cusimano Vachris, Ward Melville’s Chris Walker and Garden City’s Tim Worstell. 

Flynn, a 1987 graduate of , had a stellar career as a goalkeeper, including an All-Division selection during his junior season, followed by an All-Conference selection his final year in high school, where he played in the elite Exceptional Seniors Game.

Flynn went on to play at Ohio Wesleyan University where he was a First Team All-American during the 1991 season on his way to being named the Division III College Goalie of the Year. The two previous season’s, Flynn’s outstanding play earned him back-to-back Second Team All-American nominations.

A standout goalkeeper for Ohio Wesleyan, Flynn helped the Battling Bishops win the University Conference Championship in each of his four seasons there and after college, he played for the Duke/Tobay Lacrosse club, where he was honored All-Club distinction from 1994 to 1997. From 2006 to 2008, Flynn coached lacrosse for the Three-Village Youth Lacrosse Program.

Lantier was a standout midfield/attack specialist for Huntington High School, being selected both an All-Metro as well as an All-American for the Blue Devils during his senior year (1960). Lantier would attend the University of Maryland for one year before going on to the U.S. Naval Academy, where his aggressive, unselfish play earned him All-American honorable mention during his first two years.

It all came together for Lantier in 1965 when he was recognized as an elite First Team All-American on his way to helping the U.S. Naval Academy win its third straight National Collegiate Championship as its team captain. 

The 1965 season was a memorable one for the Huntington native as Lantier was decorated with numerous individual honors, including the NCAA Silver Medal, the USNA Wingate Memorial Trophy, the Cyrus C. Miller Trophy and the Stuart Oxnard Miller Memorial Trophy. Lantier was also elected to the U.S. Naval Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame that year.

Lantier was a Naval Officer from 1965 to 1970 and would go on to serve his country in Vietnam. In 1985 he became an assistant lacrosse coach at St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, CA, before heading back east, where most recently, Lantier was elected Mayor/Councilman of Colts Neck, New Jersey.