It's been 36 years since a Meaford hockey team has battled its way to the final Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship.

But next week, the Meaford Novices will face off against Millbrook, a community about the same size as Meaford, in the provincial Novice DD championship.

During the regular season the boys, and one girl, play in the Georgian Bay League against teams from Creemore, Collingwood and Flesherton, where they placed third in regular season play. But once the OMHA playoffs start, it breaks up into divisions that pit  teams from similar sized communities against each other.

In the first round, the Novices defeated Coldwater in three straight games, but faced a tougher opponent in Sunridge, where it took five games and overtime to win the series over Almaguin.

Coach Mike Page says the kids are really excited about the championship series.

"Well, for one thing, they think they get a ride around town in the fire truck if they win," he said.

Page, who has coached the youngsters for the past three years as they progressed through Tyke into Novice, says they are a "really fun bunch of kids."

"It's a good age - winning isn't everything - but they are pretty excited," he said.

Centre Giffin Boyd has been having a great year on the ice, leading the team with 41 goals. Taking a break from practice on Wednesday night, he told the Express the final game against Sunridge was really exciting.

"We were losing 2-0 but we came back and tied it up forcing overtime," he said. "It's cool to be in the final because the last time a team from Meaford made it this far was the Juveniles in 1972."

Another exciting prospect for the young team is riding in a coach bus instead of a school bus - which the parents will also appreciate since it's a four-hour bus trip to Millbrook, which is near Peterborough.

Dates and times for home games were not available at press time.