OTTAWA -- Canada's women's field hockey captain Katie Baker has retired.
The 28-year-old from Argyle Shore, P.E.I., played in 114 international matches, making her the eighth most capped female in Canadian field hockey.
Baker's teammates and coaches credit the former ice hockey player with transforming the culture of the Canadian women's program.
"She always told us to bring the best of ourselves in every practice, training session and game," Tyla Flexman, a recently retired member of the Canadian team, said in a release. "It was a privilege to train alongside (Baker).
"She pushed, supported and picked myself and the team up to constantly drive the team forward through thick and thin."
Baker, the team's captain since 2010, played in both the 2007 and 2011 Pan American Games and the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Her final appearance was at the Olympic qualifying tournament last February in India. Canada didn't earn a berth at the London Olympics.
Baker plans to pursue a career in social work.
"I know it is time, because field hockey is no longer my No. 1 priority," Baker said. "Knowing this in my head and my heart, I know it is the right decision to move on."
