Mark Gazdic spent most of the 2010-11 OHL season watching and learning.

As an inexperienced eighth defenseman on a unit featuring five players with at least two years of OHL experience, Gazdic dressed for – and played sparingly – in 18 games.

“It certainly gave me the patience to appreciate game time and getting the opportunities to play more now,” said Gazdic, 18, who’s entering his second season with the Erie Otters.

“I’m trying to take advantage … (of) what last year’s knowledge gave me and apply that right now. With a whole bunch of new teammates, there seems to be a lot of opportunities for me.”

The Otters currently have three rookies – Nathan Glass, 17, Liam Maaskant, 17, and Tyler McCarthy, 19, – and two other second-year players – Kris Grant, 18, and Adam Pelech, 17 – on defense. Veterans Brett Cook, 20, and Derek Holden, 20, are the only true veterans, and they are battling for one overager spot.

“Last year when I was playing, it was more like just surviving,” Gazdic said. “Now it’s all about bringing that confidence, that poise, that little extra edge to it that will give you the image of a top player in the league and a top defenseman.”

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The Erie Otters were a shot off the post away from tying a decade-old franchise record.

The Otters scored 12 goals – the second-highest total in their 15-year history – in a 12-3 win against Barrie in front of 2,905 at Tullio Arena Friday night.

Shawn Szydlowski nearly scored No. 13 in the game’s final seconds, which would have tied the mark set in a 13-4 win against Windsor on March 5, 1998. But the shot glanced off the post.

Fifteen different Otters recorded points in the win, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Anthony Luciani (two goals, assist), Mike Cazzola (goal, two assists), Szydlowski (goal, two assists) and Phil Varone (goal, two assists) led the Otters (21-20-1-1) with three points. Greg McKegg reached the 30-goal mark with two scores before taking the third period off to rest some nagging bumps and bruises. Brett Thompson, Brett Cook and Matthew Paton had a goal and assist apiece. Luke Cairns had two assists.

The Otters wasted no time in building a commanding 4-0 lead. They recorded the game’s first two shots on goal. McKegg and Luciani scored on both of them less than 3 minutes apart. McKegg opened the scoring 1:53 into the opening period. Luciani scored on the power play at the 4:09 mark.

McKegg also scored on the power play with two minutes left in the period. In between, rookie Johnny McGuire, who was recalled Thursday, scored his first OHL goal in his second career game. Rookie Mark Gazdic, who moved to wing from forward for the game, had an assist for his career point. The Otters scored all four goals on nine shots.

The onslaught continued in the second period, as the Otters scored six goals on 15 shots

Szydlowski, Macaulay McDonnell and Varone scored 2:19 apart early in the period. John Chartrand replaced rookie Josh Malecki in goal for the Colts following McDonnell’s goal.

Later in the period, Matthew Paton’s goal began a stretch of three straight goals in 4½ minutes. Thompson, acquired from Sault Ste. Marie on Monday, capped the surge with his first goal as an Otter. The Otters scored those 10 goals on 20 shots. They finished with 12 goals on 33 shots. Mackenzie Braid had two points for the Colts (8-29-2-2).

* News and notes: The Otters tied a franchise mark for the largest margin of victory, which was set in the 1998 win against Windsor and tied in a 10-1 win at Toronto St. Michael’s on Jan. 10, 1999. … Veteran defenseman David Shields also sat out the third to rest. … Cook set a new single-season career high with six goals. … Former Otter Jordan Coccimiglio, who was claimed off waivers by the Colts a week ago, was the second-line center. He also played on the power play and penalty kill.

- Victor Fernandes

SUMMARY

Otters 12, Colts 3

Barrie  0  0  3  —  3

Erie  4  6  2  —  12

1^st Period — 1. Erie, Greg McKegg 29 (Cazzola), 1:53. 2. Erie, Anthony Luciani 14 (Shields, Cairns), 4:09 (pp). 3. Erie, Johnny McGuire 1 (Gazdic), 16:21. 4. Erie, McKegg 30 (Varone, Holden), 18:00 (pp). Penalties — Ashman (B) interference, 2:28; Shields (E) hooking, 12:14; Locke (B) interference, 12:40; Malecki (B) tripping (served by Scheifele), 16:54.

2^nd Period — 5. Erie, Shawn Szydlowski 21 (Varone, Grant), 5:21. 6. Macaulay McDonnell 6 (Cairns, Paton), 6:19. 7. Erie, Phil Varone 17 (Szydlowski), 7:40 (sh). 8. Erie, Matthew Paton 6 (Grant), 12:08. 9. Erie, Brett Cook 6 (Luciani, Szydlowski), 15:56 (pp). 10. Erie, Brett Thompson 26 (Holden, Cazzola), 16:40. Penalties — Holden (E) tripping, :10; Shields (E) slashing, 6:56; Barrie, too many men (served by Pearson), 9:08; McGuire (E) 5-min. fighting, 11:46; Lepkowski (B) 5-min. fighting, 11:46; Mort (B) holding, 14:37; Mort (B) slashing, 16:59.

3^rd Period — 11. Barrie, Tanner Pearson 9 (Devlin, Braid), 4:50 (pp). 12. Erie, Mike Cazzola 11 (Thompson), 8:51 (sh). 13. Erie, Luciani 15 (unassisted), 12:29. 14. Barrie, Mackenzie Braid 5 (Beyers), 13:59. 15. Barrie, Colin Behenna 22 (Bennett), 16:11. Penalties — Crisp (E) delay of game, 3:23; Pelech (E) tripping, 7:08.

Shots on goal — Barrie, 9-8-9—26; Erie, 10-15-8—33.

Goaltenders — Barrie, Josh Malecki 0-1-0-0 (12 shots, 6 saves), John Chartrand (21 shots, 15 saves); Erie, Ramis Sadikov 21-14-1-1 (26 shots, 23 saves).

Power plays — Barrie (1-5), Erie (3-6).

Referees — Darren Price, Joe Celestin. Linesmen — Chris Thornton, Mike Harrington.

Attendance — 2,905.

Three stars

* Mike Cazzola, Otters (goal, 2 assists) ** Matthew Paton, Otters (goal, assist) *** Kris Grant, Otters (2 assists)

What: Ottawa 67’s (4-3-0-0)

at Erie Otters (3-6-1-0)

When: Today, 7 p.m.

Where: Tullio Arena

On the air: WFNN-AM/1330, www.ottershockey.com (live stream)

Players to watch

Erie – C Greg McKegg (8 goals, 11 assists, 19 points), C Mike Cazzola (5-11-16), RW Shawn Szydlowski (4-7-11), LW David Broll (2-4-6), D Tyler Hostetter (2-5-7)

Ottawa – LW Shane Prince (2-9-11), C Ryan Martindale (4-4-8), C Cody Lindsay (4-3-7), RW Tyler Toffoli (3-3-6), D Travis Gibbons (0-6-6)

Fast facts

Erie – The Otters have lost a season-high, four game losing streak. … They have lost two of three at home. … The Otters won both meetings with the 67’s last season by a combined 12-3 score. … The No. 1 line leads the offense for a second straight season, as McKegg, Cazzola and Szydlowski are the top three scorers. … McKegg’s three-point outing in Saturday’s loss at London moved him atop the OHL’s scoring list by two points over Niagara C Ryan Strome. … He ranks among the top five in goals and assists and leads with three short-handed goals. … Szydlowski has points in six straight games (four goals, nine points). … Rookie D Mark Gazdic and RW Scott Mitchell (season debut) remained in the lineup on Saturday in place of D David Shields and LW Brett Appio. … The Otters also are without RW Anthony Luciani (undisclosed injury), D Brett Cook (undisclosed injury) and rookie C Connor Crisp (concussion). … The club will donate proceeds from tonight’s game to the United Way. The players will wear special sweaters bearing the “Live United” slogan.

Ottawa – The 67’s arrive in Erie off a 3-2 loss at Niagara on Friday night. … They continue a stretch of five straight road games. … Prince ranks among the top 10 in assists. … They traded G Chris Perugini to Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday for four OHL draft picks.

Up next: at Sault Ste. Marie (Friday, 7:30 p.m.), at Sudbury (Oct. 23, 7 p.m.)

What: Erie Otters (3-5-1-0) at London Knights (4-2-0-0)

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: John Labatt Centre – London, Ontario

On the air: WFNN-AM/1330, www.ottershockey.com (live stream)

Players to watch

Erie – C Greg McKegg (7 goals, 9 assists, 16 points), C Mike Cazzola (4-9-13), RW Shawn Szydlowski (3-7-10), LW David Broll (2-4-6), D Tyler Hostetter (2-5-7)

London – RW Vladislav Namestnikov (3-5-8), RW Jared Knight (4-2-6), RW Seth Griffith (0-6-6), LW Michael MacDonald (2-2-4), C Daniel Erlich (1-2-3)

Fast facts

Erie – A night after losing for the ninth straight time in Windsor, the Otters look to snap an 18-game losing streak and 23-game winless skid in London. The Otters’ last win in London was on Dec. 27, 2002 – their first visit to John Labatt Centre. … They are 2-4-0-0 on the road this season. … They have won two straight overall against the Knights, including a 5-2 home win on Oct. 2. … McKegg’s seven-game point streak ended in Windsor on Thursday. … Szydlowski has points in five straight games (three goals, eight points). … The Otters remain without RW Anthony Luciani (undisclosed injury), D Brett Cook (undisclosed injury) and rookie C Connor Crisp (concussion). Crisp, a second-round pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection, still hasn’t made his OHL debut. … D David Shields and LW Brett Appio also missed Thursday’s game. … Rookie D Mark Gazdic and RW Scott Mitchell (season debut) replaced them in the lineup. … The Otters have allowed power-play goals in eight of nine games this season.

London – The Knights have scored a league-low 19 goals, but are third best in goals against (18). … They followed their loss to the Otters with a 3-0 home win against Belleville and 5-4 shootout win in Windsor last weekend. … G Michael Houser, who backed up rookie Igor Bobkov in the loss to the Otters, earned his first OHL shutout in the win against Belleville. Houser has a 4-1-0-0 record, 2.29 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in five games this season. … C Phil Varone, who missed half of last season with a shoulder injury, has missed the past two games since reportedly injuring his knee against the Otters. … The Knights have a league-low 99 penalty minutes.

Up next: vs. Ottawa (Saturday, 7 p.m.), at Sault Ste. Marie (Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.)

- Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters winger David Broll had two points in his Ontario Hockey League debut last September against Sudbury. It was his only multi-point game of the season. He had a goal and two assists in Friday’s season-opening win at Brampton – his first career three-point outing.

But this time, the offensive production will continue, Broll said Saturday.

“I I had a little more confidence going into the first game knowing it’s my second year of the league,” said Broll, who struggled getting acclimated to the players’ size and speed and the pace of the game. “It was very important how to (handle those) struggles.”

* Accepting the challenge: Rookie forward Chris Marchese has begun his first OHL season as the center between veterans Anthony Luciani and Shawn Szydlowski on the No. 2 line.

Chris Marchese (Contributed/The Scouting News)

Marchese is handling the challenge well, Broll said. Marchese had an assist and a plus-1 rating in front of 80-90 family members and friends in Friday’s win against the Battalion. He also performed well on faceoffs. But Marchese isn’t focused on what’s he done. He’s focused on his job. “I’m going to play my game and hopefully stay there,” Marchese said Saturday.

He gained some experience at center with the Toronto Marlboros‘ midget minor club last season. That makes him feel comfortable at the position while adjusting to the OHL game. “Luckily I had my legs under me (on Friday),” he said. “I wasn’t too nervous.”

* Good news: An official from the National Hockey League‘s St. Louis Blues called Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, to praise defenseman David Shields‘ play at training camp. “He’s definitely a prospect,” Bassin was told.

Bassin expects Shields to return to the Otters. But Bassin was unaware of the timetable.

* Injury report: Rookie winger Macaulay McDonnell missed this weekend’s games with a groin injury, said Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager. Rookie forward Connor Crisp also missed the weekend with a groin injury, Bassin said.

* News and notes: The Otters scratched defensemen Shields and Mark Gazdic and rookie forwards McDonnell, Crisp, Tim Tankeev and Scott Mitchell. Rookie forward Luke Cairns made his OHL debut.

- Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters have traded defenseman Evan Accettura to the Ottawa 67′s for a conditional 15th-round pick in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection. Accettura, 18, became expendable after club officials recently signed three defense prospects – 2010 draft pick Adam Pelech and 2009 picks Mark Gazdic and Kris Grant. That left the club with nine defensemen, led by veterans Brady Austin, Brett Cook, Mitch Gaulton, Derek Holden, Tyler Hostetter and David Shields.

The Otters acquired Accettura, a native of Novi, Mich., on Aug. 24, 2009, in a deal that sent winger Sean Jones to the Brampton Battalion. Accettura remained on the Otters’ roster, although he didn’t officially play in a game, until being reassigned to the Wheatfield Blades, a Junior B club in North Tonawanda, N.Y., last December. He had seven points in 20 games with the Blades.

In other Otters’ news, forward Andrew Yogan will attend the New York Rangers‘ main training camp, which begins Friday. He joins Otters teammates Greg McKegg (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Hostetter (Philadelphia Flyers) at NHL camps.

- Victor Fernandes

Chris Marchese (Contributed/Aaron Bell, OHL Images)

The Erie Otters have officially signed their top four picks in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection – left wing Chris Marchese (first round), defenseman Adam Pelech (second), center Connor Crisp (second) and left wing Luke Cairns (third). The club also has signed a pair of defense prospects from the 2009 draft – Mark Gazdic (10th round) and Kris Grant (11th).

All six have earned roster spots for the 2010-11 OHL season, said Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager.

The Otters have eight defensemen in the rotation – veterans Brady Austin, Brett Cook, Mitch Gaulton, Derek Holden, Tyler Hostetter and David Shields and rookies Grant and Pelech. Gazdic, younger brother of former Otters winger Luke Gazdic, will be an extra player that will “continue to develop,” Bassin said. “We signed him on those conditions.”

Bassin wants to start the regular season next week with eight defensemen in the rotation. That likely makes Evan Accettura the odd man out for the second straight season. Accettura, who was acquired from the Brampton Battalion for winger Sean Jones in August 2009, spent the first two-plus months of the 2009-10 season in Erie before being assigned to the Wheatfield Blades, a Junior B club in North Tonawanda, N.Y., last December. Bassin didn’t disclose his plans for Accettura on Tuesday.

- Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters made two more cuts on Tuesday: forwards Erik Robichaud and Ralph Cuddemi. That leaves the club with 28 players on the roster.

FORWARDS (16)
Brett Appio
David Broll
Luke Cairns
Michael Cazzola
Jordan Coccimiglio
Connor Crisp
Jeremy Gottzmann
Anthony Luciani
Chris Marchese
Macaulay McDonnell
Greg McKegg
Scott Mitchell
Matthew Paton
Shawn Szydlowski
Timofey Tankeev
Andrew Yogan

DEFENSEMEN (10)
Evan Accettura
Brady Austin
Brett Cook
Mitch Gaulton
Kris Grant
Derek Holden
Adam Pelech
Mark Gazdic
Tyler Hostetter
David Shields

GOALTENDERS (2)
Chris Festarini
Ramis Sadikov

The Erie Otters drafted Brady Austin in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection as a defenseman.

But he finished the 2009-10 season at forward.

Austin’s versatility led to increased ice time. Yet, defense remained his first choice. “I talked to the coaches and said that’s what I want to play this year,” Austin said before Thursday’s scrimmage at Tullio Arena. “That’s what I focused on all summer with my skating coach.”

Now he will get his wish. Sherry Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, said Austin will return to defense for the 2010-11 season. He has defense this week at training camp.

Austin joins five defensemen in the rotation – Brett Cook, Mitch Gaulton, Derek Holden, Tyler Hostetter and David Shields – who have at least two full seasons of OHL experience. Bassin said the team will carry eight defensemen to start of the regular season. That leaves two open spots for players such as Adam Pelech, a 2010 second-round pick, and Evan Accettura.

* Looking sharp: The Otters have formed an expanded partnership with United Way, headlined by United Way Night on Oct. 16 at Tullio Arena, club officials announced at a news conference on Wednesday. The Otters will face the Ottawa 67′s wearing special gray sweaters, pants and socks with red, white and blue trim. The words “LIVE UNITED” appear on the lower back of the sweater.

Proceeds from ticket and jersey sales will benefit the United Way’s 2010 Campaign.

“Together, united, we can inspire hope and create opportunities for a better tomorrow,” R.J. Zonna, United Way of Erie County’s senior vice president, said in a prepared statement.

The Otters will have a second specialty jersey night on Feb. 5 against the Windsor Spitfires to celebrate the 15-year-old franchise’s 1,000th game. The design will be unveiled at a later date, along with the list of Otters’ alumni attending the game.

* A different Gazdic: Mark Gazdic has worn his older brother Luke‘s Texas Stars helmet during training camp this week. “It feels cool,” said the younger Gazdic, who was able to wear it since Luke, who’s in the Dallas Stars‘ organization, will attend NHL training camp later this month.

But don’t expect him to play like his brother, the Otters’ former physical winger. There are few similarities between their styles. Mark, a defenseman and the Otters’ 10th-round pick in the 2009 OHL draft, prefers a finesse approach, since he’s smaller (6 feet, 170 pounds) than Luke, who’s listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 228 pounds.

“I’m more agile and I make good plays,” he said. Mark will play a physical game, as he proved in separate fights against fellow 2009 pick Johnny McGuire on Wednesday and veteran Brett Appio on Thursday. In contrast, Luke was one of the OHL’s most feared fighters.

“It’s not my style of game,” Mark said.

* Memorable experience: Goaltender Adam Wood experienced it all in his two-game trial by fire with the Otters last season.

On New Year’s Eve in St. Catharines, Ontario, the night then-No. 1 goaltender Jaroslav Janus signed with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, Wood learned he would start in his first OHL game 20 minutes before facing the Niagara IceDogs. He stopped 33-of-40 shots in an 8-7 win. Two nights later, he allowed five goals on 24 shots in his home debut against the Guelph Storm. Yet he still earned a 7-5 win. In all, Wood, a 2009 eighth-round pick, had a 2-0-0-0, record 6.00 goals-against average and .813 save percentage.

Now he’s ready for more. “I feel like I’m ready for more experience this year, more confidence,” Wood said. “I feel I can do it.”

Wood joins veteran Ramis Sadikov and 2009 fifth-round choice Chris Festarini as the remaining goaltenders in camp.

* News and notes: Bassin made no cuts following Thursday’s workouts, leaving the roster at 40 players. More cuts will be made on Friday. … Accettura left the ice during Thursday’s scrimmage with an apparent injury, but it wasn’t considered serious.

- Victor Fernandes