The Rise were seconds away from leaving Halifax with all three points on Thursday morning, but a late Halifax Tides FC equalizer forced the visitors to settle for a 1-1 draw.

The result was especially frustrating given the circumstances. Vancouver had crossed the country for the match, playing through a four-hour time difference and a short turnaround after Sunday's clash against Ottawa Rapid FC.

The 7:00 am PT kick-off time had already stirred conversations about player exhaustion and what match attendance would look like. The game, however, represented something completely different.

Head coach Anja Heiner-Møller was one of many who echoed pride in the effort her players produced.

"I think we have been put, with the league planning, in a crazy situation," she said after the match. "Travelling a four-hour time difference, playing at 7 a.m. Vancouver time, with only a Sunday-Thursday turnaround time. That's extremely tough, with players getting up at 3 a.m. our time this morning."

Despite the challenge, Vancouver started strong.

The opening stages were tight, with both teams staying organized and limiting chances. Anna Bout had the first effort of the game after finding space outside the box, while Anaïs Oularbi nearly got on the end of a dangerous attack midway through the half before a Halifax defender stepped in at the last moment.

As the half wore on, Vancouver began to take control.

Latifah Abdu came close to opening the scoring after meeting a clever cut-back from Bout, but her shot was blocked. Moments later, Abdu won the ball back and created a chance for Jessica De Filippo, only for Halifax to throw another body in front of the effort.

Just before half-time, Halifax nearly struck first. Julia Benati curled a dangerous shot toward goal, but Morgan McAslan — back between the sticks after an impressive stint from Jessica Wulf — produced an excellent save to push it away and keep the game scoreless heading into the break.

The visitors carried that momentum into the second half.

Within minutes of the restart, De Filippo powered past her defender and cut the ball back toward Abdu, but once again Halifax found a way to block the chance.

Of late, commentators and viewers alike have been paying more attention to De Filippo's physical prowess. Another standout performance today showed just what she is capable of, especially after going down with what looked like a serious injury around the 28th minute.

Luckily, it didn't seem to be too bad, with her returning to the game soon after.

The defensive resistance from the Rise continued in the 51st minute when Bout met a cross at the back post, only to see her shot ricochet off Sheyenne Allen and behind for a corner.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 58th minute.

De Filippo received a long throw inside the penalty area and showed remarkable composure under pressure. Surrounded by three defenders, she spun away and laid the ball into the path of Oularbi, who fired a first-time strike past Rylee Foster to make it 1-0.

For Oularbi, it was a long time coming.

"Obviously, I waited for this moment," she said. "The whole team has been supporting me so much. Everyone was texting me beforehand, wishing me luck, telling me that they trust me. The coaching staff too. It's been so helpful having them there."

The midfielder admitted the emotions took over after the ball hit the back of the net.

"I'll be honest, I blacked out a bit when I scored," she laughed. "I don't remember much more than hearing the kids. It was really special. I know everyone's happy for me."

Her celebration quickly turned toward the bench, where she shared the moment with teammates and staff.

"Those are the people that, at every MD+1, have been with me and we work so hard for that," she said. "When you get a chance, you've got to take it. I'm just grateful, honestly."

The goal gave Vancouver the lead they had deserved for much of the match.

Even then, the visitors continued to push forward. Maithé López nearly doubled the advantage with less than 15 minutes remaining, cutting inside from the left and unleashing a powerful strike that flew just over the crossbar after a slight deflection.

At the other end, Vancouver's defence was forced into action. Jessika Cowart produced a crucial goal-line clearance from a Halifax corner in the 84th minute to preserve the lead.

In the end, Halifax's pressure eventually paid off.

Around the 89th minute, Julianne Vallerand found the equalizer from a corner kick, breaking Vancouver's hearts and making it 1-1.

López almost restored the lead moments later when a bouncing ball fell kindly inside the box, but her volley drifted inches over the bar.

Cowart then came to the rescue one final time in stoppage time, sliding in to deny Sydney Kennedy after the forward broke through on goal.

That proved to be the final action of a hard-fought contest.

While Vancouver left Nova Scotia disappointed not to claim all three points, Heiner-Møller felt her players gave everything they had under difficult circumstances.

"What I did see was a team that was so hyped going out onto the field," she said. "Physically, we can feel that we played a game like last Sunday and with all the travel here as well, so I'm really proud of the team turning that around."

The Danish coach also praised the spirit shown by the squad throughout the trip.

"I think they've done everything they could," she said. "It's players waking up early, getting their coffees, walking on the streets at 3 a.m. our time. The players and staff were working hard and coming onto this time zone as soon as we could."

In the end, Vancouver earned a valuable point on the road. Still, knowing they were minutes away from victory, there was a sense of what might have been.

"We'll take the one point," Heiner-Møller said. "But when we were that close to getting those three points, of course, we're disappointed."

Rise FC return to action on 28 June when they welcome AFC Toronto to Swangard Stadium for the third meeting between the clubs this season.