The Vancouver Whitecaps used stifling defense to shut down the New Jersey Wildcats' explosive attack, then connected on all four of their spot kicks following 120 minutes of scoreless soccer to capture the first W-League championship by a Canadian club.

Penn State goalkeeper Erin McLeod watched New Jersey's Anne Makinen and Marinette Pichon — both former WUSA stars — fire off target, then connected with a penalty kick of her own as the Whitecaps scored a 4-2 shootout triumph at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Former Colorado College star Martina Franko and Canadian national-teamers Andrea Neil and Kara Lang also scored on penalties, and Vancouver extended its unbeaten streak to 29 games while finishing the season with a 15-0-2 record.

It was the Whitecaps' second title-game appearance — they lost, 5-1, to the Boston Renegades in 2001 — and the fourth W-League championship game decided on penalty kicks.

''We were told before the game that if we won we would be the first Canadian team to win the championship,'' Lang told Canadian Press. ''That really gave us motivation.''

Top-seeded New Jersey, which created more dangerous chances despite a possession disadvantage, also finished with an unbeaten record, at 17-0-1.

''From my perspective, we were the better side,'' Wildcats coach Charlie Naimo said. ''They played well, but I thought we deserved to win. But that's my perspective.''

Canadian national-teamer Randee Hermus was selected the final-four Most Valuable Player after expertly marking Pichon, the 2002 WUSA MVP who scored 28 goals for the Wildcats this season, throughout the final.

Nonetheless, Pichon had two superb chances. She fired just wide of the right post from 20 yards in the 22nd minute after a fine feed from Makinen, her former Philadelphia Charge teammate, then shot at McLeod from 14 yards in the 71st minute, also from Makinen's pass.

Makinen had a good chance in the 54th minute, intercepting a pass and firing just wide of the left post from 25 yards.

It was a chess match of a game, with opportunities few and far between. The best chance belonged to Vancouver, 12 minutes into overtime, a climax to an extended period of Whitecaps pressure.

Franko — she played at Colorado College as Martina Holan — was left with no options forward, so she played the ball back to University of Nebraska sophomore Brittany Timko, another Canadian national-teamer, on the left flank.

Timko took a touch, then — under pressure — lofted a ball into the box to Canadian national-teamer Amber Allen, who had scored the decisive second goal in the Whitecaps' semifinal victory Saturday over Chicago.

Allen, a second-half substitute who had been kept out of the starting lineup with a sore neck, chested down the ball 10 yards from the net, leaving herself an open path to the goal. She shot at the edge of the 6 as Princeton University defender Janine Willis slid in, and Penn State goalkeeper Amanda Brown made a reaction foot save.

Brown, Penn State's starter the past two seasons, likely will lose her No. 1 position with the Nittany Lions this fall to McLeod, who transferred from SMU.

Vancouver took charge right away in the shootout. Makinen, a Finnish national-teamer, fired wide left with New Jersey's first attempts, and Franko buried her shot to give the Whitecaps the lead. Pichon, France's best player, then shot wildly high. Neil, the Vancouver captain, made it 2-0.

The next three shooters — Trinidad & Tobago national-teamer Tasha St. Louis and U.S. youth national-teamer Manya Makoski from Arizona State for the Wildcats, sandwiched around Lang — connected on their shots. McLeod then fired sharply inside the left post, and Vancouver's celebration began.

''Just before the shootout, Chris [Bennett, the Whitecaps' coach] told me I was kicking fourth,'' McLeod said. ''Thankfully, I wasn't really keeping track of the score, and I didn't realize my goal was the winner until after it went in.''

The Ottawa Fury won the third-place game, beating the Chicago Cobras, 1-0, on University of Wisconsin junior Amy Vermeulen's 11th-minute goal.

Former University of Tennessee star Rhian Wilkinson, part of Canada's Women's World Cup team last year, fed Vermeulen for the goal. University of Illinois goalkeeper Leisha Alcia earned her 11th shutout of the season for Ottawa.

W-LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
1995: Long Island Lady Riders
1996: Maryland Pride
1997: Long Island Lady Riders
1998: W-1 — Raleigh Wings; W-2 — Fort Collins Force
1999: W-1 — Raleigh Wings; W-2 — North Texas Heat
2000: W-1 — Chicago Cobras; W-2 — Springfield Sirens
2001: W-1 — Boston Renegades; W-2 — Charlotte Lady Eagles
2002: Boston Renegades
2003: Hampton Roads Piranhas
2004: Vancouver Whitecaps

Finals
1995: Long Island Lady Riders 2 Southern California Nitemares 0
1996: Maryland Pride 3 Dallas Lightning 0
1997: Long Island Lady Riders 1 Chicago Cobras 1 (Long Island wins on penalties)
1998: W-1 — Raleigh Wings 4 Boston Renegades 3
W-2 — Fort Collins Force 3 Hampton Roads Piranhas 1
1999: W-1 — Raleigh Wings 2 Chicago Cobras 2 (Raleigh wins on penalties)
W-2 — North Texas Heat 5 Springfield Sirens 1
2000: W-1 — Chicago Cobras 1 Raleigh Wings 1 (Chicago wins on penalties, 4-2)
W-2 — Springfield Sirens 2 Charlotte Lady Eagles 1
2001: W-1 — Boston Renegades 5 Vancouver Whitecaps 1
W-2 — Charlotte Lady Eagles 3 Memphis Mercury 1
2002: Boston Renegades 3 Charlotte Lady Eagles 0
2003: Hampton Roads Piranhas 1 Chicago Cobras 0 (OT)
2004: Vancouver Whitecaps 0 New Jersey Wildcats 0 (Vancouver wins on penalties, 4-2)