Before Notre Dame's series-clinching 2-1 victory over Nebraska-Omaha in the first round of the CCHA Tournament Sunday night, Fighting Irish coach Dave Poulin was asked to talk about statistics.

"I told our radio guy to throw them all out," Poulin said.

While it's easy to toss statistics and records out the window come playoff time, there is one statistic that the coaches of the CCHA shouldn't overlook. Michigan and Michigan State have walked away from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit with the last six CCHA Tournament championships - winning three each.

Neither the Wolverines nor the Spartans know which team they will play in the semifinals. Michigan will play the lowest remaining seed from today's play-in round tomorrow at 2 p.m, and Michigan State will take on the highest remaining seed at 5:30 p.m.

Michigan State coach Ron Mason has been so successful in the tournament that the championship trophy is now called the Mason Cup. The Spartans' general - who will retire and become Michigan State's athletic director at the close of this season - has led his teams to 12 tournament titles (three while coaching at Bowling Green), and Michigan State has taken the last two.

But coaches from around the league continue to insist that there is parity throughout the conference - especially this season, with Michigan and Michigan State both losing to inferior opponents in conference play.

"Our league is so close and so competitive and tight," Poulin said.

But the parity is not at the top. The Wolverines and Spartans finished eight and six points ahead of third-place Northern Michigan, respectively. There is parity in spots three through eight, as the six teams in pursuit of Michigan and Michigan State were separated by just six points in the final standings.

Although the standings don't show any signs of the Spartans and Wolverines losing their string of six straight CCHA Tournament championships, this could be the year. Michigan has shown weakness recently, losing to last-place Lake Superior last Friday at home 4-3.

"If there was any sign of parity, that was it," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "Our team has not been playing playoff hockey."

Michigan State, which led the CCHA for two-thirds of the season before losing the regular season title to Michigan, struggled in the final two months, losing to Western Michigan, Notre Dame and Ferris State.

Aside from concentrating on upsetting the balance of power, Northern Michigan and Alaska-Fairbanks have something else to shoot for - making the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats, who are ranked at No. 12 in the Pairwise Rankings, have a legitimate claim for an at-large bid, having swept Michigan and Alaska-Fairbanks, as well as two nonconference wins over Cornell and Maine.

"We're as big of a bubble team as there is," Northern Michigan coach Rick Comley said. "For sure, we have to win one game (this weekend), and we might even have to win two just to get in."

Picked by the CCHA media in the preseason to finish in last place, the Nanooks are currently No. 11 in the Pairwise, breathing down the Wolverines' neck at No. 10. Alaska-Fairbanks has beaten Michigan and Michigan State this season and swept Ohio State.

Poulin is convinced that the CCHA will get three teams in the NCAA Tournament, but if his Fighting Irish or the Buckeyes upset Northern Michigan or Alaska-Fairbanks in their play-in games today, that could change.

While Michigan's loss to Lake Superior dropped it from No. 4 to No. 10 in the Pairwise, Poulin says the Wolverines should be in by virtue of their CCHA regular season title.

Ohio State, which has had an up-and-down season, and Notre Dame won't make the NCAA Tournament unless they win this weekend's tournament.

"We haven't thought that far ahead," Poulin said. "We're playing our best hockey of the year. We've kept our preparation just like during the regular season."