Michael Jolicoeur didn’t blink.

When asked if revenge was on his Salem boys tennis team’s mind when it locked up with Central this season, the answer was a resounding “yes.”

In 2007, Salem entered the same contest with one loss and fell to the Little Green.

“Last year, they came into our house and beat us, and I felt like we were better tennis players, but they really outworked us and outhustled us,” said Jolicoeur. “We were kind of cruising along, and I definitely felt that put our guys in kind of a bad mind frame going into the playoffs.”

This season, the Blue Devils entered the Monday, May 12 contest undefeated and in control of the No. 1 seed. They left in the same position. Salem earned its 12th win, 6-3, while Central fell to 9-4.

“We knew coming in this was going to be a tough match. Central was a three-loss team, but all three of their losses were to really good opponents,” said Jolicoeur. “I felt like this would be a big, big win for our guys, especially this late in the season. I think pulling this one out, the guys are really going to be flying high.”

Though No. 1 singles player Michael Cohen was edged, 8-6, and No. 5 Tim Briggs fell, 8- 2, Jeff Bunker, Bobby Pike and Chris Correia, the Blue Devils’ No. 2, 3 and 6, respectively, each earned 8-2 triumphs.

But the decisive victory may have come in the No. 4 singles match.

There, Joel Vastl trailed 7-3 to Central’s Rob Lucas. The Salem senior notched six unanswered games and won the match, 9-7.

“That’s a huge win,” said Jolicoeur. “If (Vastl) loses that match we go in needing two out of three doubles, and now all we need is one, so that takes a lot of pressure off our doubles team.”

After Cohen and Pike fell in their doubles contest, 8-4, Bunker and Vastl won, 8-3. Jordan Faulconer and Tim Briggs squeaked by in the No. 3 doubles contest, 9-7.

“(Salem) is the best team in the state. They’re tremendous,” said Central coach Mark Telge. “They’re clearly the favorite to win it all this year.”

That would be a first for Salem, which has never made it past the semifinals.

“We have guys top to bottom that can win at their positions, and I feel confident every match going in because I think we’re deeper than any other team in the state,” said Jolicoeur. “We knew, coming into this year, returning five of our six, that the playoffs were a realistic goal, and then we definitely wanted to have our (postseason) matches at home, and at this point, we certainly like our chances.”

Salem, which beat 8-4 Pinkerton on Tuesday, May 13, 7-2, is scheduled to close the season at 7-4 Bishop Guertin, which is still fighting for its playoff life.