After nearly a decade with the women's Black Sticks, the country's all-time leading goalscorer has decided to bring down the curtain on her international career.
Anita McLaren scored 105 goals and made 271 appearances for New Zealand, and now retires from the game as one of international hockey's best ever.
Since her 2009 debut, McLaren's been a goal-scoring force up front for the Black Sticks, breaking new ground for women's hockey.
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But at 31-years-old, she's exclusively revealed to Newshub that she is going out in her own terms.
"No I'm not pregnant!," she joked. "That's going to be getting questioned - I'm not!"
There can be no question McLaren leaves international hockey on a high, after scoring Commonwealth Games gold in April, an emotional peak after nine years with the team.
"To finally get on that podium, hear that anthem and be given a gold medal... if you saw any of the interviews, I was a blubbering mess. I'm not very emotional and it all sort of came out.
It helped bring closure on an outstanding career for McLaren.
She came back refreshed from a break after the Rio Olympics, but will now shift her focus on overseeing sport at Auckland's King's College.
"I'm very much a goal-setter and I wanted to make sure I finished when I was ready," McLaren told Newshub.
"I'm ready to see what else is out there for me and I'm excited for my future."
McLaren doesn't envision any thoughts of a comeback down the line either.
"Yes, it's for good."
Her decision to leave the sport comes at a time when the Black Sticks women's environment is the subject of an independent review, with concerns raised about the methods of coach Mark Hager.
But McLaren told Newshub her choice had nothing to do with that and doesn't believe Hager was over-vigorous in his approach.
"He's got to push us to our absolute best, because we want to perform on the world stage. I think he gets the best out of the group."
"I'm a lot tougher than some, obviously. I like to be told what I did right or wrong, and how do I be better.
"That's all I want to know and I think he has the capabilities to take this group further."
Whether Hager is given that opportunity will be known in a few months, but whatever the case, the future of New Zealand hockey will not include Anita McLaren.
"I just want to thank the New Zealand hockey community and all the fans.
"I'm really proud of what I've done and what I've achieved, and I am ready to walk away."
Newshub.
