BY DAVID MARRAN
dmarran@kenoshanews.com

Kenosha Combined hockey coach Steve Carlson likes where his team is heading into tonight’s WIAA regional final against Janesville Combined.

“We are peaking right now,” Carlson said after his Thunder dispatched Oconomowoc Co-op 11-3 in a WIAA regional semifinal Tuesday in the first home playoff game in the history of the program.

The game is at 7 p.m. at the Janesville Ice Center, 821 Beloit Ave., Janesville.

Peaking or not, the 12-9 Thunder will be facing one of the better team’s in the area in Janesville.

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The team of Parker/Craig students is 15-5 and seeded third in the sectional. Janesville, which received a first round bye, finished second in the Big Eight Conference to Verona, which was ranked ninth in the latest Wisconsin Prep Hockey poll.

Two of Janesville’s losses were to Verona and another was to third-ranked Arrowhead.

Carlson was feeling good about his team following the convincing win over 3-18 and 11th seeded Oconomowoc.

“We need to have the same intensity and the same will to win,” Carlson said.

“They’re 15-5 so what? So what? We are peaking right now. If (the Oconomowoc game) is any indication of what this team is going to do in the playoffs, (Janesville) is in trouble.”

Against Oconomowoc, Kenosha got goals from all four of its lines with Sam Spair, Kyle Easter, TC Trainor and Matt Hill all scoring twice. In addition, Cole Thompson had six assists.

The Thunder also got good production out of its special teams, netting four power play goals Tuesday night.

“We have to come out and play with the same intensity and not care who scores,” Carlson said.

Tonight’s winner will be the winner of the Beloit-Catholic Memorial survivor in a sectional semifinal Feb. 24.