Vancouver Rise denied victory by late Montreal equalizer but stay in playoff places

Vancouver Rise once again left it until the final moments, but this time the late drama ended in frustration.

After falling behind to former Rise player Lisa Pechersky, Vancouver fought back through Jessica De Filippo and Tori Tumeth to take a 2-1 lead in stoppage time, only for Montreal to equalize just a minute later and leave the Rise with a 2-2 draw.

The result keeps Vancouver in fourth place, but with Halifax only two points behind and just four regular season matches remaining, every opportunity to collect points is crucial for the Rise to reach the playoffs.

A scoreless first half

Vancouver started the match with plenty of attacking pressure, with De Filippo and Mia Pante creating several dangerous chances in the opening stages.

Montreal came close to taking the lead in the 16th minute when their effort hit the inside of the post and somehow bounced back out. Just a minute later, De Filippo tested Montreal goalkeeper Anna Karpenko, who made the save to keep the game level.

Karpenko continued to be an important player for Montreal throughout the half, making multiple saves to keep Vancouver from finding a lead, and the two teams went into halftime still tied at 0-0.

Pechersky gives Montreal the lead

In the 66th minute, Tori Tumeth made an important defensive play inside the box to stop Pechersky from getting a shot. Just one minute later, however, the former Rise player got another opportunity, and this time made no mistake, giving Montreal a 1-0 lead.

Pecharsky has been a problem for Vancouver since moving to Montreal. Every time she has faced her former team, she has managed to either score or provide an assist, and today was no different.

Montreal nearly doubled its advantage in the 71st minute, but Jessica Wulf came up with an important save to keep Vancouver in the game.

De Filippo ties it up

In the 83rd minute, De Filippo brought Vancouver level.

A cross from Yuka Okamoto was deflected off a Montreal defender and fell at the forward’s foot, who wasted no time finding the back of the net. De Filippo once again stepped up when Vancouver needed her, adding another important goal to her season and reclaiming her lead in the league’s Golden Boot race.

Two goals in stoppage time

With time ticking down, the deadlock was broken again in the second minute of stoppage time.

Following a corner from Latifah Abdu, captain Tori Tumeth found the back of the net to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead. After fighting back from a goal down, the Rise were moments away from taking all three points.

But Montreal responded immediately.

Just a minute later, Evelyn Badu scored to level the match at 2-2, cutting the celebration short and leaving Vancouver stunned.

It was a frustrating ending for the Rise, who had managed to turn the game around but could not hold onto their lead long enough to secure the win.

Pante puts in another strong performance

Mia Pante was one of Vancouver’s standout performers throughout the match.

The winger was constantly involved in the Rise’s attack, making dangerous runs, creating opportunities for her teammates and showing plenty of creativity on the ball.

Even though Pante did not provide a goal or an assist, she played a major role in keeping the Rise dangerous throughout the match and continued to be one of Vancouver’s biggest attacking threats.

Post-match reflections

Despite the disappointment of conceding so quickly after taking the lead, Vancouver’s post-match reflection was positive. Both interim head coach Iain Darbyshire and left winger Mia Pante were proud of the team’s performance, describing it as an unbelievable, championship-level game.

“We believe that we are better than our position shows,” Iain said.

The Rise showed that belief on the field, not giving up after Montreal took the lead and responding by creating chances throughout the second half.

But Iain also acknowledged that the team is responsible for changing its position in the standings.

“We’re accountable for why we’re there, it’s on us, so it’s going to be us that gets us out of that position and pushes us forward,” he added.

The Rise will have to take the positives from their performance, knowing they managed to take a point against the league leaders. But with only four matches remaining, every point becomes increasingly important as Vancouver looks to secure the final playoff spot.

** You can find all of Tom’s photos from the match on AFTN’s Flickr page HERE **