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Sports photographer captures epic photo of Moorhead/Edina scuffle
Sports photographer Andrew Ritter captured an epic shot of a scuffle between Moorhead and Edina in the Class AA hockey semifinals Friday night, and it's gone viral on social media.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - One of the biggest high school state tournaments in the country is over, with the Warroad and Moorhead boys’ hockey teams taking home state championships.
Iconic photo from state semifinals
The backstory:
Friday night’s Class AA state semifinal between Edina and Moorhead ended in a 3-1 victory for the Spuds. A hit at the final buzzer caused a bit of a scuffle between the two teams, and Andrew Ritter captured an epic photo of it.
You’ve likely seen his work from this year’s tournament, and a picture he took is everywhere online. After the play on the ice, it’s maybe the most talked about part of this year’s state tournament. A scuffle between multiple players from the Spuds, and one from the Hornets.
That imagery isn’t lost on Ritter.
"I was talking to a Star Tribune photographer last night and we were talking about how it encapsulates Minnesota. One Edina player, against all of Minnesota going against that one guy," Ritter told FOX 9 Sports Director Jim Rich on Sunday.
Caught up in the moment
Why you should care:
Ritter is a 20-year-old professional photographer who works the State Boys Hockey Tournament, one of the best high school events in the country. The excitement and lore from the tournament isn’t just confined to fans and players.
Ritter admits he can get lost in the magic while working the event.
"I was standing on the concourse last night and I was looking around, I had a photographer right next to me. I’ve been to that tournament many, many times and I cannot believe this is high school hockey," Ritter said.
Spring Training next
What's next:
Ritter has been photographing sports since he was 15 years old. He says the response to this photo online has been incredible.
His next assignment? A trip south to bright and sunny Florida to work Spring Training.