Friday night, in the No. 1 Penn State ACHA Div. I Icers' (24-2) opening round game of the Nittany Lion Invitational Tournament, I finally got to see what I've been waiting for all season -- a fight.

With less than 10 minutes left in the third period and the Icers up 7-1, things got a lot more entertaining. Penn State defenseman Joe Maglaque took offense to a hit behind his own net and went to have a few words with Western Michigan forward Dan Norris.

Words quickly turned to grabbing, grabbing to gloves being dropped, helmets being ripped off and punches being thrown.

When all was said and done, Maglaque picked himself up and both players were given five-minute majors for fighting, and a five-minute major on Norris. It was great.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't encourage violence. But fighting adds an extra bit of excitement to a hockey game. Unfortunately for Maglaque, he picked a bad time to drop the gloves. He was forced to sit out the championship game against Washington & Jefferson the next day.

Violence in sports provides a shock value for spectators. Take NASCAR for example. Who in their right mind would pay to sit in front of a race track and watch cars drive in circles for three hours? If anyone is willing to admit they find it entertaining, please let me know. I have some spare time and could use the money.

But as boring as it may sound, NASCAR is the second most watched sport in America, behind football. The crowd is drawn in by the high rate of speed and possibility of horrific crashes.

Fights in the NHL provide a similar crowd-drawing effect. However, there is a time and place for everything. The only way a fight should be justified is if it's in response to certain actions that must be accounted for.

At the professional level, fights allow players to police the game themselves. If a team's star player is on the receiving end of a cheapshot, the team goon makes sure to remind the opposition not to do it again by using his fists.

Fights can also serve as a momentum changer. In a close game, a player may get into a fight simply to get the crowd into it and bring the momentum to his side.

Finally, fights can serve as a way to say, "Hey, just because you beat us today, don't get cocky." In a blow out, a fight at the end of a game leaves that message, reminding both teams the next game will be closer.

However, in the ACHA fighting is a much more delicate situation. The players must take into account the fact that they will be disqualified from the next game.

Maglaque picked the worst possible time to get into a fight. By fighting, he handicapped the Icers in the championship game. As a leader on both the defensive and offensive ends of the ice, he has to set an example for the team and keep his cool.

By disqualifying himself from play Saturday, Maglaque took his 29 points out of Penn State's lineup when a title was on the line. That's just not smart hockey.

Though fights are sure to entertain the crowd and give the fans their daily dose of violence, players need to think about the consequences of their actions. What it all comes down to is timing. A fight at the wrong time could leave a team flat on its back, just like it did Maglaque.