Ryan Stone returning home Former Orono High star now an assistant coach for Brown

It will be a homecoming for Brown University assistant women’s ice hockey coach Ryan Stone Friday night when Brown faces the University of Maine at the Alfond Arena.

Stone is a 1988 Orono High School graduate whose goaltending helped lead the Riots to three Eastern Maine Class B championship game appearances and one title.

“We lost in the 1987 state championship game to Yarmouth and Yarmouth’s coach that year was Roger Grillo, who is now our men’s hockey coach at Brown,” said Stone.

Stone played for his father, Greg Stone, at Orono High. Grillo is a former University of Maine defenseman.

The 34-year-old Stone enjoys his return trips to Orono.

“It’s nice. I played so many games there and watched so many Maine men’s games,” said Stone.

One of the former Bears he watched was Guy Perron, who makes his Alfond Arena debut as Maine’s women’s hockey coach Friday night.

“It’s great to see Guy getting a chance,” said Stone whose younger brother, Mitch, also played for Orono.

Ryan Stone went to Lawrence University (Wis.), lettering in hockey and baseball.

He then went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.) where he coached the women’s club hockey team and stayed on as the coach when it earned varsity status. He was at RPI for eight years.

Stone is in his fourth season at Brown and enjoys working for head coach Digit Murphy and with the players.

“I love it at Brown,” said Stone. “There’s no NHL for these women, a few may play for the Olympic team, so we’re also teaching them life lessons to help them create lives for themselves after college.”

Brown has a veteran team with two very fast lines and Stone thinks they will contend for an NCAA Tournament berth.