There's not much that can rattle seven-year Team Canada softball veteran Melanie Matthews.

The left-fielder, who hails from Vancouver, has a reputation as one of the most fearsome offensive players in the softball world.

Her accomplished career with Team Canada, during which she attended three ISF World Championships as well as competed in other major tournaments such as the World Cup and the Pan-Am Games, came to an end this weekend with Team Canada finishing in fourth place.

When asked about how she was handling the pressure of playing in the last World Championship of her career, Matthews' answer reflected her numerous experiences with competing on a world stage.

"You take it one pitch at a time and breath a little bit more because you've been in that kind of situation before: it makes it a little more comfortable,” she said.

Matthews' comfort in high-stakes games has contributed to Team Canada's success over the years, a highlight of which included grabbing bronze at the 2010 World Championship in Venezuela.

Matthews considers the collective experience of her fellow veteran teammates to be one of the team's best advantages this year.

"We have a young group coming up and they look towards the veterans to set a good example and stay calm and we can definitely use that as a team” Matthews said.

Even though this tournament marks the end of her international career, Matthews intends to take more away from her time in Whitehorse than just a medal. She says her main personal goal has been to enjoy the experience.

"You have to cherish the moments you get to wear the uniform so that is what I am looking forward to for the rest of this tournament,” said Matthews, after a 4-2 loss to Team USA on Friday night.

She noted that the crowds which have filled the stands throughout the tournament have been a big part of what has made it special.

"The fans are great so it's been nothing but good memories,” Matthews said.

As for life after softball, it will be all work and no playing ball for Matthews.

She is currently studying to become a Certified Accountant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, a process which will take up most of her time once the tournament is finished.

However, her retirement from softball does not mean she will be leaving the sport completely.

"I will probably take some time away for a bit and one day I'd like to get into coaching some youngsters, but nothing too serious,” she said.

Despite the fourth place finish falling short of one of the top three spots the team had been hoping to snag, Matthews can celebrate that at least the last time she stepped up to the plate, it was on home turf.

"I probably could have retired after 2010 but we knew that Worlds would be here at home,” she said.

"That was something I wanted to experience.”

By Paige Parsons

Special to the Star