[SOLVED] .Net core Specifying encrypt=strict in SQL Server connection string causes error

Working in a Blazor app, .Net Core 6.0.

Connecting fine to my SQL Serve 2016 database, whose compatibility level is also set to 2016.
The connection string is:

Data Source=MySource;Initial Catalog=MyDb;Integrated Security=SSPI;encrypt=true;TrustServerCertificate=True

However, since I am using Microsoft.Data.SqlClient 5.1.0, I wanted to take advantage of the TDS enahnced security feature: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/ado-net/introduction-microsoft-data-sqlclient-namespace?view=sql-server-ver16#tds-8-enhanced-security

So per the documentation, I changed the encrypt value in my connection string to be encrypt=strict. However, doing that produces this error on connection.Open():

Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlException
  HResult=0x80131904
  Message=The client was unable to establish a connection because of an error during connection initialization process before login. Possible causes include the following:  the client tried to connect to an unsupported version of SQL Server; the server was too busy to accept new connections; or there was a resource limitation (insufficient memory or maximum allowed connections) on the server. (provider: SSL Provider, error: 0 - The wait operation timed out.)
  Source=Core Microsoft SqlClient Data Provider
  StackTrace:
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject stateObj, Boolean callerHasConnectionLock, Boolean asyncClose)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.EnableSsl(UInt32 info, SqlConnectionEncryptOption encrypt, Boolean integratedSecurity, String serverCertificateFilename)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.SendPreLoginHandshake(Byte[] instanceName, SqlConnectionEncryptOption encrypt, Boolean integratedSecurity, String serverCertificateFilename)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Connect(ServerInfo serverInfo, SqlInternalConnectionTds connHandler, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, Boolean withFailover)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.AttemptOneLogin(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, TimeoutTimer timeout, Boolean withFailover)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.LoginNoFailover(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, TimeoutTimer timeout)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.OpenLoginEnlist(TimeoutTimer timeout, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString userConnectionOptions, SessionData reconnectSessionData, Boolean applyTransientFaultHandling, String accessToken, DbConnectionPool pool)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreatePooledConnection(DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningObject, DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.CreateObject(DbConnection owningObject, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal oldConnection)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.UserCreateRequest(DbConnection owningObject, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal oldConnection)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningObject, UInt32 waitForMultipleObjectsTimeout, Boolean allowCreate, Boolean onlyOneCheckConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningObject, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal oldConnection, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionInternal.TryOpenConnectionInternal(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpen(TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, SqlConnectionOverrides overrides)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open(SqlConnectionOverrides overrides)

Inner Exception 1:
Win32Exception: The wait operation timed out.

Not been able to figure out why this error is occurring. Is it related to my SQL Server version? Thanks, Hedge.