Here's the wrap-up from the Daily: Headline: Rough play hampers U, irks Woog Publish Date: 01/09/1995 Matthew Cross Staff Reporter Marquette, Mich. -- The Gophers hockey team knew that they were heading into a war zone when they battled Northern Michigan at Lakeview Arena this weekend. And they knew the Wildcats were going to be physical in their quest for a pair of home victories. They knew it on the plane ride, they knew it in their hotel and they definitely knew it on the ice. But for the young Gophers squad, even the most intensive session of Northern Michigan 1001 couldn't have prepared them for what was about to happen. Minnesota experienced a style of play that was comparable only to a World Wrestling Federation cage match -- a style that the Gophers proved they could not keep up with. After a Friday game that ended in a 2-2 tie and was relatively peaceful, Northern Michigan's true colors were exposed as they gave the Gophers a 6-3 beating -- literally. For the first 30 minutes of Saturday's game, there was little hockey being played, but there was a lot of hard hitting and cheap shots from both sides. Minnesota coach Doug Woog was not happy. ``I'm very (angry). We lost our cool for about two or three minutes, which is fine. But I personally have a hard time accepting the way the game was played tonight. I'm not going to criticize the officials, but the conduct we had to face as players was not appropriate.'' In the second period of Saturday's game, the Gophers set a team record for the most penalty minutes in a single period, with 46 minutes on 11 penalties. Woog said most of the penalties that were taken, however, were in retaliation of ``dirty, dirty play.'' ``I got a little hot there for a while,'' Woog said. ``And I told (Northern Michigan coach Rick Comley) I don't like it. ``They went after (rookie defenseman Mike) Crowley,'' Woog said. ``They went after his head. He's got to play like a big boy, but he shouldn't have to be part of the glass from late hits or being punched in the head.'' Woog was faced with a dilemma of whether or not to play physical in the first period on Saturday, and the decision resulted in a battle royal. ``What do you do?'' Woog asked. ``Do you let them just beat you up? Do you retaliate or just let it get worse?'' The Wildcats went into the series hoping to give new life to their physical game, which was a struggle last month. ``We didn't solve everything,'' Northern Michigan coach Rick Comley said. ``But I think we took a step.'' Comley said his team would not make any excuses for their play, and noted two five-minute major penalties on the Wildcats' centers Jason Welch and Dean Seymour that were questionable. From a players' perspective, the game was exciting, but at the same time, their mental approach was slightly slurred. ``Some of those guys are 6-2, 6-3, so it's not the greatest to look back and see those guys in your face,'' said Crowley, who is 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds. ``But it really doesn't change my game.'' Sophomore winger Dan Hendrickson said he enjoyed the physical play and called it a type of eye-opener. ``This was a perfect style of game,'' Hendrickson said after Satuday's game. ``It's fun to skate around and be that type of team, but it's also fun to get a gut check every once in a while.'' Carol S. White BITNET: c-whit@uminn1 University of Minnesota internet:[log in to unmask] Office of the Registrar (612) 625-8517 GO Gophers!!!