WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The No. 17 Washington & Jefferson College field hockey team built a two-goal advantage and held on down the stretch to defeat Denison in Cameron Stadium on Friday night.
 
In a battle of defending conference champions and preseason favorites, the Presidents bounced back from a scoreless outing on Sunday with a goal in the very first minute of play.
 
After earning an early penalty corner, freshman Josephine Robson (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) inserted to the center of the circle, received a pass directly back and then found Rachel Fromm (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) to fire home the evening's first goal.
 
Goalkeeper Rena Israel (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) thwarted the Big Red's only first quarter shot on target in the sixth minute. Israel and the Presidents' defense notched two saves and did not relinquish a goal despite a pair of penalty corners in the second quarter to maintain a 1-0 lead at halftime.
 
After not registering a shot in the second quarter, W&J went on the offensive to begin the third. The Presidents earned two penalty corners and fired a pair of shots on target before finding their second goal.
 
On W&J's third penalty corner in just over 90 seconds, the ball found its way to Alexis Miller (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) beyond the right post. She crossed it across the cage where Robson was waiting to score her first collegiate goal. Robson's tally extended the lead to 2-0 in the game's 36^th minute.
 
With less than five minutes remaining in regulation, Denison scored to trim the deficit to a single goal. The Red and Black made survived a late penalty corner without allowing a shot to preserve the win.
 
Denison outshot the Presidents 6-4 and held a 5-4 edge in penalty corners earned. However both squads recorded six shots on target.    
 
Israel made three saves in the win, and Robson collected her first collegiate goal and assist on the same night.
 
W&J returns to action Sunday at noon for a non-conference contest against Kenyon.