A "disappointed" Joe Paterno addressed the football team regarding some players' alleged involvement in an assault at a downtown apartment party last weekend, a team spokesman said yesterday.

"The coaches addressed the team," said Guido D'Elia, Penn State's director of branding and communications. "[The players] know exactly where he stands on this. He was very clear."

Few specific details have been released regarding the role the football players may have played in the fight, in which police said 11 to 12 men forced their way into a third-floor apartment at Meridian II, 646 E. College Ave. and assaulted several men who were attending a party. No one has yet to be criminally charged for the incident, which happened just after midnight Sunday.

"Once we feel like we have all the information, we will discuss it publicly," Sports Information Director Jeff Nelson said last night. "We're still gathering information."

D'Elia said there have been one-on-one and group meetings between players and coaches to discuss the incident. D'Elia said Paterno has talked with as "many guys" as possible because he's "trying to be fair."

"It's a distraction, but we just gotta' learn to get through this," D'Elia said. "And hopefully, we can grow from it."

State College police confirmed Tuesday that they have been conducting interviews with football players in connection with the incident. No individuals have been named because formal charges have yet to be filed. Several partygoers told The Daily Collegian they identified football players to the police.

Almost all of the individuals involved in the incident have been interviewed, Sgt. Chris Fishel said yesterday.

Events leading up to the assault began on the corner of High Street and East College Avenue late Saturday night, Fishel said.

Police said offensive comments were made to a woman by at least one of three men, who have all been identified

by police. The woman's boyfriend became angry, leading to a physical confrontation among the men, Lt. John Gardner said Tuesday.

Police said they believe the assault and burglary at the apartment stemmed from the street confrontation.

Jack Britt (junior-crime, law and justice) said he was struck by a bottle and was treated at the hospital for about an hour after the incident. He said he walked away with a lump on his head.

A third partygoer, who does not attend Penn State, was knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the face, leaving him bloodied, said Joseph McGarrity (sophomore-international politics), one of four residents of the apartment.

Gardner said victims suffered injuries such as abrasions on the body, blackened eyes and bruised ribs.

Larry Himes (junior-labor and industrial relations), another resident of the apartment, said he met with Joe Puzycki, the director of Penn State's office of Judicial Affairs, on Tuesday afternoon. Puzycki has not responded to multiple interview requests for the past two days.

"We just have to sort it out and get to the truth of it," D'Elia said.