Vancouver Rise clinch 1st-ever playoff spot with draw in Halifax

It was more than a draw. On Sept. 27, during a crisp fall afternoon in Nova Scotia, Vancouver Rise FC carved their names into club history, clinching their first playoff berth with a hard-fought 1-1 result against Halifax Tides FC.

The scoreboard suggested balance, but the performance told a different story: 90 minutes of ambition, tension, and resilience that ended in triumph for the visitors and their traveling supporters.

From the opening whistle, Vancouver looked determined to dictate the tempo. Captain Samantha Chang and winger Holly Ward led the charge, pressing Halifax deep and testing their defensive structure. In the 13th minute, Latifah Abdu rose to meet a cross, sending a header goalward that Halifax goalkeeper Anika Tóth had to stretch to push aside. Moments later, Lisa Pechersky carved open the defense, unleashing a dipping strike that curled just wide of the far post.

For all their early dominance, though, Rise were hit with a gut punch. In the 15th minute, Halifax struck first. Winger Milly Clegg cut inside from the left and drove a low finish into the corner, punishing Vancouver against the run of play.

It was a test of character, one this young club has faced before. Instead of wilting, Rise grew sharper. Chang nearly leveled with a curling free kick in the 22nd. Abdu kept hammering at the back line, coming inches away twice more. From deeper, Nikki Stanton tested Tóth with a long-range strike that forced a parry. Then, just before halftime, Jessica De Filippo found herself unmarked inside the six-yard box, only to sky her shot over.

The halftime break changed nothing about the visitors’ intent. Vancouver came out with renewed purpose, Chang again forcing Tóth into action. Their persistence was finally rewarded in the 62nd minute. When Halifax failed to fully clear a cross, Ward seized her chance, drilling a volley low into the bottom corner. It was more than an equalizer, it was the goal that mathematically secured Vancouver’s first playoff appearance.

With the weight of qualification lifted, Rise played with even greater freedom. Abdu, tireless as ever, came close yet again, denied only by Tóth’s lightning-quick reflexes. Veteran forward Jasmyne Spencer nearly delivered a fairytale finish in the 84th minute, her rocket destined for the top corner until Tóth managed the faintest of touches, pushing it onto the crossbar.

Head coach Anja Heiner-Møller also turned to her bench late, introducing 23-year-old forward Nedya Sawan for her first appearance in a playoff-clinching moment. It was a small but telling substitution, evidence that the Rise project is not just about the present but about nurturing the next wave of players to contribute in high-pressure situations.

By full time, the numbers told their own story. Vancouver finished with 65-per-cent possession, 22 shots, 12 on target, and five corners. Halifax, aside from their goal, created little and failed to register a single corner kick. Only the excellence of Tóth kept the scoreline level.

But the numbers, like the result, do not capture the emotion of the night. For Rise, this was a breakthrough, proof of concept for a club that has built itself on identity, patience, and collective belief. Ward’s strike will be remembered as the official playoff goal, but the moment belonged to the entire team. From Stanton’s veteran steadiness and Abdu’s relentlessness, to Spencer’s near winner and Sawan’s late cameo, this was a collective achievement.

The draw means more than securing passage to the post-season. It signals Vancouver’s arrival as a force within the Northern Super League (NSL). Their brand of football — possession heavy, attack-minded, and anchored in development — is not just earning results but shaping the league’s landscape.

Now the focus shifts forward. With just a few matches remaining, the task is to secure the best possible seeding for the two-leg semifinals in early November. If Rise can take that next step, Toronto’s BMO Field awaits as the stage for the inaugural championship final on Nov. 15.

For now, though, the celebration is deserved. Vancouver Rise did more than hold their ground. They rose to history.