Stone’s ability to bring victory to Bright Hockey Center and develop Olympic level talent hadn’t been enough to get her the coaching position for Vancouver. But after the 2009-10 college hockey season, Stone’s accomplishments—including her newly minted coaching record—made her hard to ignore.

Success was anything but guaranteed to Harvard last year. The team had graduated its top three scorers the year before, opened its season without one of its top forwards, junior Liza Ryabkina, and lost its record setting goaltender, Christina Kessler ’10, by the end of January. But by the end of the season, the Crimson had won the Beanpot and earned the fourth seed in the NCAA tournament.

“When injuries arise, other players have to step up,” Chu said. “I think Coach Stone creates an environment that allows them to step into those roles…She gives them an environment for them to reach their potential and perform.”

But Chu emphasized the Stone’s guidance extends beyond the ice.

“She’s equally invested in helping us as women to be strong and have great sound morals,” Chu said. “I’ve appreciated everything she’s guided me through.”

As her former players tell it, Stone’s qualities as a mentor, as well as her impressive knowledge of the sport, make her a great choice to lead the national team.

“She’s got a great mentality for the national team level,” Cahow said. “She’s very business oriented, very professional. For a female coach, that’s really exceptional. She is able to separate herself and stand as an authority figure and someone to look up to. She does her job with a great sense of decorum.”

Stone has been a winner since college, where she won the national lacrosse title with UNH in 1985. After Stone, a two-time All American in lacrosse, reached the highest pinnacle in that sport, she made a name for herself on the ice and led UNH to two ECAC titles in college before establishing herself as a top college hockey coach with the Crimson.