Ferrara isdreamingof another Cup Final win against the Flames

Influential defenceman Robbie Ferrara was an emerging talent in the city team which captured the crown back in 2009 as part of their famous honours treble.

Now he is determined to get his hands on the trophy again as Phantoms take on the same opponents, Guildford, in another showpiece clash seven years on.

They travel to Surrey for the opening leg tonight (March 2) before hosting the return at Planet Ice tomorrow.

“It was great to be part of the club’s last EPL Cup win and it is exciting to have the opportunity to win the trophy again,” said Ferrara, who will celebrate his 26th birthday on the day of the first leg.

“The current team is very different to the one we had back in 2009, but we know we are capable of picking up silverware if performing at our best.

“I remember Guildford edged a hard-fought first leg at their rink the last time we were in the final, but we turned it around in the second leg and won the trophy in front of our own fans.

“That was a fantastic feeling and one I would love to enjoy again. We all play to win every time we go onto the ice to have opportunities like this to lift a trophy, and it is important we take it.

“It was brilliant to win the play-offs in Coventry last year, but not all of our fans were able to get there. To win a trophy in our rink, which will hopefully be packed for the second leg, would be extra special.

“We will need every advantage we can get and the rink being full and loud would certainly be one. There is always a fantastic atmosphere when that’s the case.

“The fans were amazing back in 2009 and we’ll need them behind us again.”

As Ferrara rightly recalls, Phantoms were beaten 4-3 in the opening leg seven years ago after enduring a miserable trip to Surrey.

Several players were left gridlocked on the M25 and did not arrive at The Spectrum until after the game had started.

There were no such problems on home ice in the return clash as Colin Patterson’s men powered to a 6-3 success to secure a 9-7 triumph on aggregate.

They would surely settle for the same outcome again in a showpiece which pits the second and third-placed teams in the EPL standings against each other.

Phantoms currently edge the Flames by a point, but that could change this weekend as the city side have only one fixture and in-form Guildford, who have won eight successive games, play twice.

Ferrara added: “Guildford have been in excellent form recently in the league so people might look at them as favourites, but we had also had a great run until drawing a blank last weekend.

“I’m not too sure league form counts for a lot in a big cup final anyway. It will simply come down to who performs best on two successive nights.

“The club has had some tough times since we were last in the cup final, but most of the teams in the league have gone through highs and lows.

“It is great to be up there competing at the top end of the league table and fighting for the cup.

“We’ve still got the chance of three pieces of silverware with the cup, the league and the play-offs - and I want to win them all.”