MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- The 9th Communications Battalion "Chaps" remained the undefeated victors during the 2012 Pendleton Cup Series Combat Water Polo Tournament, May 16 at the 13 Area Pool.

During the Pendleton Cup Series, Marines and sailors compete for monetary prizes that will be awarded to their respective units' funds.

"These events are for active-duty Marines and sailors looking to build unit cohesion. It takes an entire team's effort and communication to win," said Theresa Flores, a Marine Corps Communits Services athletics coordinator. "All the participants that come out for these events earn points for their units."

Prior to jumping in the water for this year's competition, the majority of participants had never played combat water polo. As a result, they had to band together and rely on team communication to overcome their opponents.

"[Events like this] build camaraderie between units and battalions by allowing them to work as one," said Thaddaeus I. Haney, a first-time combat water polo participant playing for Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base. "Communication is key. If you don't communicate with your team it becomes extremely difficult to win."

Combat water polo was modified from the traditional sport of water polo to provide service members the increased safety of a shallow playing field, while maintaining the aggressiveness and difficulty by introducing a unique variable.

"In a traditional water polo game you tread water the entire time, where as, combat water polo is played in the shallow end [of the pool] so players can stand-up," Flores said. "And in order to make it more challenging we added the [combat boots and utilities] which adds a lot of drag in the water."

Other traditional water polo standards and rules still apply including the amount of players in the water, only being able to handle the ball with one hand at a time, not being permitted to submerge the ball under water and having the potential to foul out of the game, Flores said.

"It's a very aggressive sport that uses a lot of your lower body," Flores said. "Most of the action happens under the water and away from the referees sight, making it hard to make every [foul] call."

This year's competing units included the 9th Communications Battalion "Devil Dolphins" and "Chaps," the Wounded Warrior Battalion - West "Killer Shark Winners," the Marine Corps Tactical System Support Activity "By the Beach" and the H&S Bn., MCB.

During the championship match, the 9th Comm. Bn. "Chaps" survived a late-game scoring spree by the WWBn.-West "Killer Shark Winners," ending in a score of 10-7. With the win, the Chaps continued their three year Pendleton Cup Combat Water Polo winning streak.

The next Pendleton Cup Combat Water Polo Tournament is scheduled for Sep. 12. For more information contact the Athletics Department at (760)763-0453 or (760)6614/6806/6195.