MONTREAL – The Vancouver Whitecaps battled to a 0-0 draw against the Montreal Impact on Wednesday night in the first leg of the two-game Amway Canadian Championship total-goals final.

Vancouver’s Alain Rochat had two solid scoring chances in the first half, including a header off a corner kick in the 32nd minute that was stopped on the goalline by Montreal midfielder Justin Mapp.

Impact defender Jeb Brovsky was bloodied about the face in the 88th minute when he collided with Vancouver’s Jordan Harvey as both went up for a ball kicked deep into the box by Montreal defender Matteo Ferrari.

The Whitecaps are appearing in their third championship series since the tournament format changed in 2011 from a round robin to two playoff rounds. Vancouver lost the first two ACC finals to Toronto FC, which won four straight Voyageurs Cup titles from 2009-12.

Afternoon rain and a forecast of evening showers that did not materialize kept the Saputo Stadium crowd to 12,016.

Vancouver will host the second leg of the final at B.C. Place on May 29.

Impact striker Marco Di Vaio lifted his arms to appeal, though to no avail, for a handball in the 74th minute when his shot from inside the box off a pass from Brovsky was blocked.

Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush jumped to stop Erik Hurtado’s shot in injury time at the end of the second half.

Di Vaio had a scoring chance 19 minutes in when he curled around to the front to fire a shot from 25 yards out. Whitecaps goalkeeper Brad Knighton made the stop but had to scramble to recover his rebound.

Montreal captain Patrice Bernier put a shot just wide of the right post moments later in the 21st minute.

Vancouver threatened in the 32nd minute when Rochat’s shot was stopped by Bush.

Rochat had a second straight opportunity to go for goal on the ensuing corner kick but Mapp blocked his header just inside the right post.

Montreal coach Marco Schallibaum exchanged heated words with Whitecaps assistant coach Paul Ritchie on the sidelines after the Impact picked up its third yellow card in a span of seven minutes when Di Vaio was cautioned in the 33rd minute for his tackle on Matt Watson.

Defender Hassoun Camara was shown Montreal’s first yellow card for fouling Vancouver captain Nigel Reo-Coker on a hard tackle 26 minutes in.

The Impact’s Collen Warner was also cautioned in the 31st minute.

Whitecaps defender Andy O’Brien picked up a yellow card in the 49th minute.